


Love Runs Deeper than Blood

by HanukoYoukai



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Found Family, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Identity Issues, Minor Character Death, Tags May Change, Violence, Water Tribe Zuko (Avatar), because I don't know how else to tag that
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-27
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:20:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 28
Words: 108,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24938176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HanukoYoukai/pseuds/HanukoYoukai
Summary: Ursa adored the boy. Iroh doted on him. Azulon would coo at the child when he thought others weren’t watching. Even Lu Ten, who often declared the baby boring, would play with Zuko near the turtleduck pond. No, it seemed Ozai was the only one who saw what a disappointment his son was.No matter. His problem would be dealt with by morning.A Water Tribe Zuko AU.
Relationships: Katara & Sokka & Zuko (Avatar), Katara & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka & Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 1325
Kudos: 1878





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!
> 
> I _love_ Water Tribe Zuko AUs SO MUCH! I do. And there aren't enough of them. So here is my addition. I wanted to create a canon divergence where Zuko grew up in the South Pole with Sokka and Katara. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Title comes from a quote by Richelle Mead: "Love and loyalty runs deeper than blood."

The young women scurried around him like spider-rats, dashing in and out of the room at the end of the hall, exchanging bloodied towels for fresh ones and refilling empty water pitchers as they went. His father had already gone to bed for the night, and his brother was in his own apartments, watching over his child as he slept. It was the solstice—the longest night of the year, and with a new moon to boot. A bad omen for any in the fire nation welcoming a child in the world.

Ozai stood still, staring at the door, waiting for news of his wife and child. He tried to ignore the memories of his childhood, filled with the voice of his older brother taunting him with spirit tales in the middle of the night. Ozai never believed in bad omens, and thought the stories about spirits were nothing more than babble to pacify the lower classes, but he did know that there was such a thing as luck. Considering the darkening expressions of the servants who passed him, Ozai had a feeling that his child would need as much of it as possible to even come into the world.

After moments or hours—the passage of time was endless on the longest night—the commotion stopped. Everyone stilled, and Ozai held his breath.

A small cry pierced the silence, and Ozai relaxed, letting the breath slowly leave his body. The doctor exited the room and bowed to Ozai, indicating his wife was decent and ready to receive him. Ozai moved into the room, barely nodding to the man as he made his way to Ursa.

She leaned back against a wall of pillows, her long dark hair covering them. Her skin was more pale than usual, and she was covered in sweat. Her amber eyes were focused on the tiny clothe bundle that was in her arms. A small, sweet smile adorned her face as she waggled a finger at it, cooing to the child within.

“Ozai,” she said, glancing up at him. “Would you like to meet your son?” Ozai reached down and gently took the child from her, moving the blankets from his face so he could see. The baby wrinkled his face and half-opened his eyes—a dull gold.

There was no spark there.

Ozai’s breath left him in a rush as he shoved the child back to his wife. “This is a disgrace,” he growled.

“Ozai?” Ursa asked, pulling the child close to her breast.

“You give me an heir that has no spark! He will never bend!” Ozai shouted, his hand now wreathed with flames. Ursa cried out, but he paid her no mind. “He is useless to me. I will not have this pathetic excuse for a child waste any more air!”

“NO!” Ursa screamed, shielding her child with her body.

“Move out of the way, Ursa,” he snarled.

“Ozai, please,” she begged, curling even tighter over the babe. “Please I beg of you, do not deprive me of this child. I am certain a child of your esteemed lineage will have fire. Give him a chance. Do not take him, please.”

Ozai stood over them, flames sparking and jumping from his hand. Ursa remained hunched over the child, sobbing. The babe suddenly wailed. Perhaps he knew his mother’s distress, or he had been jostled too much. The sound was loud and strong, and startled Ozai. The prince shook himself and put out his flame, examining his wife and child. Ursa uncurled slightly, trying to shush the boy. He huffed, stepping away from her.

“Very well,” he said. “Perhaps he will not disgrace me.” Ursa sighed and relaxed slightly. Ozai turned away, shaking his head, certain that his words would prove false. His wife had a difficult birth on the worst night of the year. Ozai huffed, settling in a chair near his wife and trying to keep a frown from forming on his face.

_He was lucky to be born._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fingers crossed, this will go the way I want. I'm hoping for a retelling of Avatar, but with different events as Zuko is not chasing them all over the world. 
> 
> He's still going to be a bit of an angry jerk. Just for different reasons. ;-)
> 
> I am posting the first chapter very soon. It needs to be edited, so I'm hoping for later tonight or early tomorrow morning. 
> 
> Please leave a comment to let me know your thoughts, and a kudos if you were entertained. Also, if you want, you can come holler at me, [@hanuko](https://hanuko.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr!


	2. Chapter One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“Did you do it?” Li—her second—asked gruffly as they pulled further and further from the coast. She said nothing, swaying back and forth. Zuko answered for her with a coo._
> 
> _“Oma and Shu,” Li breathed, standing up and stalking towards her. “That’s a baby. Why do you have a baby?”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, here is the first chapter. 
> 
> The set up to get to the main story is going to take a hot minute here. There are a couple of chapters between now and getting Zuko to the South Pole. Bear with me. It'll happen. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Ursa named the boy Zuko. Ozai made sure to spend some time with his son daily. At first, Ursa was wary, but as time went on, she seemed relieved at Ozai’s involvement. Every day, Ozai would carry Zuko out into the courtyard of the palace. Every day under the light of Agni, he would look into his son’s face.

Every day, he swallowed against the rage that filled him at the absence of the spark in his son’s golden eyes.

It had been a full year. The babe could pull himself up and not do much more—normal for a child’s first year, the nurses assured him—when it came to mobility. He crawled around and pulled at Ozai’s robes when he wanted attention, but was otherwise a quiet child. Too still for fire. Too soft for Agni’s blessing. Ursa adored the boy. Iroh doted on him. Azulon would coo at the child when he thought others weren’t watching. Even Lu Ten, who often declared the baby boring, would play with Zuko near the turtleduck pond. No, it seemed Ozai was the only one who saw what a disappointment his son was.

No matter. His problem would be dealt with by morning.

* * *

Harmony waited.

  
Storm clouds gathered overhead, blanketing the world from the light of the stars. The darkness suited her purpose well. The young woman stared, her gaze unrelenting upon the high window in the palace, a light flickering within. Her patience was rewarded when the light went out.

The assassin darted forward, ready to taste Fire Nation blood—the blood that destroyed her family. Taking the life of a Fire Nation prince would do little to soothe the ache in her chest when she remembered her loss, but it would be cathartic enough, and the coin she had received would be worth her trouble.

After tightening her hood, Harmony scaled up the wall with precision and ease until she reached the window. The instructions she was given were explicit. Her benefactor had deep knowledge of the layout of the palace, and guaranteed that the window she was approaching belonged to Prince Zuko.

Harmony wasn’t sure who Zuko was, but anyone of Azulon’s lineage was a stain on the earth. General Iroh was a menace to the troops of the Earth Kingdom, but with how often the Crown Prince left his home to attack hers, she was certain the earthbenders would kill him. It was the remaining princes they had to worry about. The less of Azulon’s heirs there were, the better. She would rid the world of another corrupt man bent on destroying her home.

Harmony hesitated at the window ledge, gripping the stone with her fingers as she listened for any noises within. After a full minute she deemed the area safe, and soundlessly pulled herself through the opening. She landed silently on her feet and looked around. The bed in this room was clearly empty.

_Bleeding hog-monkeys,_ she thought. _It’s a trap!_ Harmony spun toward the window when a small coo caught her attention. She carefully turned back around to see a metal crib with a mobile spinning over it. Cautiously she moved to the crib, eyes widening in disbelief. She swallowed as she looked into it. She gazed into pair of small, reflective eyes. In the darkness, she could make out an unruly mop of dark hair, a round face, and pudgy hands the seemed to be reaching up for her.

Harmony felt bile rise to her throat as she stepped away. Her patron wanted her to murder a child. A baby, no less. While she had no love for the Fire Nation, she was not so immoral that she would kill someone so innocent. She knew others with less empathy—a lack of ethics helped people like her thrive in this business—but there were some lines she couldn’t cross. She had already been paid, though. If she wanted to maintain her reputation and not have a target on her own back, she’d have to do _something_.

The baby cooed again. Harmony heard the sound of footsteps thudding near the door. She had to make a decision now.

Without another thought, she reached into the crib and snatched the baby, blanket and all, and darted out the window to scale down the side of the tower. She slid around the side of the tower, so no one could see her if they looked out the window. As she carefully climbed down, she heard an agonizing scream. The baby cooed and looked up as she shushed him, sliding down to the ground below as fast as she dared. Torches began to flare to life in the palace. As soon as her feet touched the ground she ran, still clutching Prince Zuko to her chest as she darted into the trees and under cover. She moved swiftly, exiting the palace grounds and staying hear the edges of the city.

There was no way anyone in the city knew the prince had vanished. At least, not yet. Harmony ran to the docks. She had already resupplied her ship before she started the job. As soon as her feet hit the deck, she had her crew disembark.

“Did you do it?” Li—her second—asked gruffly as they pulled further and further from the coast. She said nothing, swaying back and forth. Zuko answered for her with a coo.

“Oma and Shu,” Li breathed, standing up and stalking towards her. “That’s a baby. Why do you have a baby?”

“I,” Harmony swallowed, “I couldn’t kill him, so I brought him with me instead.”

“ _That’s_ Prince Zuko?” Li rubbed a hand over his face. “ _Shit._ _That’s_ who we were supposed to leave dead in his bed?”

“Well, that was before I knew his bed was a cradle,” she snapped. The baby cried, startled by her outburst. She shushed him, rocking him in her arms.

“Hey, hey,” Li said, hands up, “I didn’t think you knew. You wouldn’t do a job like that, same as me. I just—what’s going to happen?”

“If that man gets in touch with us, we tell him we killed the boy outside the palace. We tell him there wasn’t time to do it there,” she said, a little desperately. “The problem has been removed. There’s no way this kid will come back—he won’t even know who he is, and none of his family will either. Gold eyes are becoming more common in the Earth Kingdom. Zuko could be anyone.”

“We can’t take care of a baby, Harmony,” Li said, his common sense rearing its ugly head.

Harmony sighed and looked down at the small bundle in her arms, smiling as his bright eyes took in his new surroundings.

“Then we’ll find someone who can.”

* * *

“Ursa.”

She wouldn’t move.

“Ursa.”

She _couldn’t_ move.

Ursa laid on the empty bed in Zuko’s room, completely despondent. Her eyes were dry and itchy from crying all night. The sun was preparing to set, but that didn’t matter. It had hidden behind the clouds all day. Even Agni grieved with the Fire Nation. Ursa stared out the window, feeling her heart shatter all over again.

Zuko was _gone_.

There was not a single sign of trespassing in his room. Nothing was broken or torn. Nothing was burnt. Even the crib was undisturbed, save for the missing blanket. In the cover of a moonless night, just after her son’s first birthday, he had vanished. It could be worse. They could have killed him and left the body. His disappearance gave her hope. It was not enough to move her, but it kept her from stopping her own heart.

“Ursa,” Ozai sat at the edge of the bed and touched the back of her hand. She flinched away from him and heard him sigh. “We will find him,” he said, resolutely, “and if we don’t, we will not let those who did this go unpunished.”

Ursa felt her grief tighten in her chest and she pressed her lips together to stop the new onslaught of tears that threatened to consume her. “Our son,” she whispered.

“Agni will be with him when we cannot,” Ozai said, tiredly. Ursa turned her head and stared into the blank face of her husband. His gold eyes were downcast and an ugly scowl marred his features. He caught her gaze and softened his mouth into a frown. “What do you need?” he asked.

Ursa shook her head and turned away, facing the window once again. “To be alone with my grief.”

For several heartbeats, neither of them moved. Even the air was still in the quiet room.

“Very well.”

The bed creaked slightly. Footsteps moved further and further from her. At last, she heard the click of the door shutting. Ursa sat up and turned to find she was the only occupant in the room, as requested. She let her tears fall again. Sobs wracked her body, and she pressed a pillow tightly against her mouth to muffle her cries. Eventually the tightness in her chest began to ease. Her heart stopped pounding as hard, and the gulps of air she caught between her sobs turned into steadying breaths. She trembled, pulling the pillow from her face and clutching it against her chest.

For the first time that day, the clouds parted, allowing the red-orange glow of the sun fill the room. The warm rays hit her face, and Ursa slipped from the edge of the bed to the floor. Kneeling with her head and hands pressed to the floor in contrition, Ursa eased her breathing. Breath was life. Breath fed the fire, and the fire protected them. Agni protected them.

“Agni,” she begged, whispering so low that only the Spirits could hear, “Please, hear my prayer. I beg of you, protect my boy. He is one of your children, and though we can’t see it yet, I believe he is one of your blessed. Please, save Zuko. Protect him and deliver him to safe harbor, so that I may hold my child in my arms once more. Let him come home.”

A warm breeze blew through the window—odd, for winter—making Ursa look up. The clouds moved again to cover the sun, casting the room in shadow. Ursa picked herself up from the floor, only to fall into the bed, consumed by her loss. She hoped Agni would answer her prayer.

Otherwise, she may never be whole again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Writing Notes:
> 
> 1\. Okay, so I kind of like writing from Ozai's perspective. He's so deliciously awful. I almost want to add extra bits with him because of how much I like writing him. I won't. But I kind of want to. 
> 
> 2\. I am not a fan of OCs. I think I'm terrible at writing them. It's one thing when you're creating a fully fleshed out character with a significant background, but I don't like to do that in fanfiction. I'm a bit lazy with it. I have a very vague fire-nation-did-harmony-and-li-wrong-so-they're-assassin-pirates vibe going on for them, and that's _it._ They are necessary to get Zuko where he needs to go. I don't recommend getting attached to them. 
> 
> 3\. So as much as I like writing Ozai, Ursa was so hard to get down. I only recently read The Search, so I understand a bit more of her personality from canon, and the wiki is only so helpful. The thing is, she's a strong character, really. She doesn't take too much bullshit. She does what she has to so she can protect her kids, even if it means leaving them. But she's also very soft and vulnerable, and she doesn't do well with grief (in my opinion). I'm not used to writing women like this. It was a bit outside my comfort zone, so I hope I got her voice here. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed! Please leave a comment to let me know your thoughts, and a kudos if you were entertained! And if you want to swing by and discuss my fics, give me prompts, or just say hi, you can visit me on [Tumblr!](https://hanuko.tumblr.com/)


	3. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“We can’t go to the South Pole!”_
> 
> _Li rolled his eyes. “We won’t be. They’ll meet us near Whale Tail Island.” He glanced at the boy. “The Water Tribe—they believe in family. When they hear about a boy who was abandoned by his,” he trailed off, shrugging a little. Harmony raised an eyebrow and Li cleared his throat. “It’s our best chance.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, wow, this picked up quick! Over 100 kudos already? That's absolutely crazy. Thank you!
> 
> Hope you enjoy the chapter. :-)

The sun was bright, shining high above them. The sky had very few clouds, showing that the weather would be good for the next few days. It was quiet. The children had all been put to bed and as the hours stretched on, Bato became a little jealous of them. Hakoda sat outside the entrance of the igloo before them, his head pressed into his gloved hands. Bato sat beside him, a firm hand on his best friend’s shoulder.

“Tui and La will watch over your wife, Hakoda,” he said calmly.

“How do you know?” Hakoda moaned, freeing his head from his hands. His eyes were wild and panicked. “Spirits, Bato, after all you’ve been through, how can you be confident about this?”

Bato ignored the sting of his best friend’s words. He knew Hakoda often lacked tact. “I have faith,” he said, gently. “I have faith in Kanna to deliver the child, and faith in Kya to bear it. Your wife is strong, and if your child has at least a fraction of your stubbornness, they will come into this world screaming to be heard.” As soon as the words left his mouth, a small cry could be heard from inside. Hakoda looked at the entryway, launching himself to his feet. Bato followed, standing behind his chief as they waited.

Kanna emerged, her weathered face broken into a bright smile. She gestured them inside. “Come, my son,” she said. “Come and meet your firstborn. Name him so he may receive the blessings of the Moon and Ocean Spirits.” Hakoda looked back at Bato, who smiled and nodded him in. Hakoda gripped his arm.

“You are my brother in all but blood,” Hakoda said. “Will you join me, and meet your nephew?” Bato felt a wave a grief. He closed his eyes and let it wash over him, then away. He opened his eyes again and nodded solemnly. Hakoda gripped his shoulder and led him inside. Kya was wrapped in furs, a small bundle in her arms. Bato could only see the babe’s tuft of hair in all the blankets.

Hakoda went to Kya and pressed his lips to the crown of her head. She smiled wearily at him, holding up their child. “Hakoda, this is your son,” she said tiredly. Hakoda grinned, holding the boy to his chest.

“Our son,” he said. He tugged one glove off with his teeth so he could caress the newborn’s cheek. Bato stayed behind Hakoda, looking over his shoulder to see the boy yawn and curl his fingers on the edge of the blanket. “Who are you, child?” his friend asked quietly, smiling at the boy.

“He is you,” Bato answered, “and he is Kya. He is the tribe.”

“That’s a lot,” Hakoda said with a laugh. “What could I name him, when I have so much to honor for his birth?”

Bato swallowed. “When Kyra and I were—well. When we thought of names for ours, we decided to name her for something we wanted her to be. We were going to name her for something we wished she would seek.”

Hakoda’s smile fell at the mention of his friend’s grief. “Bato—I shouldn’t have—”

“I am happy to be here, to meet my nephew,” Bato replied in a firm voice. “New life is always a joy, no matter what is in the past. You grieved with me. Now, let me celebrate with you.” He smirked a little. “Now, we don’t have to be so serious, either. There is no shame in naming him for something beautiful or strong. He looks like a Nanouk.”

“Nanouk,” Hakoda replied. He stared down at the bundle in his arms, chuckling. “Thank you, friend, but I think I’ll have to pass on that name.”

Kya chuckled. “Perhaps not this time,” she said. “I like what you said about naming him for something we think he should have. I think our child should seek to understand the world, and never stop wanting to learn.”

Hakoda nodded as Kanna filled a cup with broth from the stove. She handed it to Kya who drank it carefully.

“What about Sokka?” he asked. Bato nodded with a thoughtful expression.

Kya smiled at him, handing the now empty cup back to Kanna. “Sokka,” she said, testing out the name on her tongue. “I like it.” Kanna dabbed at her eyes as a huge smile spread over her face.

“Alright,” Hakoda said, staring into the face of his newborn son. “Welcome to the world, Sokka of the Sothern Water Tribe.”

* * *

The celebrations for the Chief’s son went on for hours. The whole village gathered together, and neighboring tribes sent tokens of congratulations. Bato was certain they would see some boats from Kyoshi Island soon, as well. Ever since Hakoda’s father helped the city against a Fire Nation raid, the tribes of the South Pole and Kyoshi Island had a bond, and it only grew stronger as time went on.

Kyra was a dream throughout it all. She cooed at baby Sokka and laughed at all of Hakoda’s terrible jokes. She even let the boy grip her long, midnight curls, grinning at his inherent mischief. She warned all of the tribe the boy would be trouble for the women, since he was pulling hair already. Only Bato saw her pain, carefully hidden behind her piercing eyes, as blue as the sky in summer. He saw when it got to be too much. At first opportunity, he walked her away from the others. They stopped walking when they reached the beach. The sun was too bright. It made a mockery of their grief.

“Kyra,” Bato began, then halted. What could he say that hadn’t already been said? That all life was precious, even though this was denied to them last year? She knew that. He wouldn’t remind her to be happy for their friends, for they already knew how much she and Bato supported them. He wondered if Agni laughed at them, high up in the sky, watching over two people in the Water Tribe that had tasted what it was to have a child, only to lose her before she could take her first breath? Bato sighed. Even the Spirit that guarded the Fire Nation would not be so cruel.

Kyra knelt on the ground and bowed her head, and Bato followed her. A breeze stirred, pulling her locks away from her face. After a moment, he heard her speak.

“Tui,” she said, “La, thank you for blessing our friends with a child. Thank you for protecting their son and keeping Kya strong through the birth. We will love Sokka, and guard him as faithfully as we would guard our own.” She sniffled. Bato reached his hand out and covered hers. Though she couldn’t feel his fingers through their gloves, she still smiled at him.

“I wish we could have our own child. By now, our daughter would be just over a year old. Sokka would have done well with a friend. I know it would take a miracle to have a child now, and we have accepted that.” She paused to swallow. Kyra glanced over at Bato who nodded for her to continue. “But if you have a miracle for us, we would be forever grateful. No matter what, we are family, and know we are loved, and will love the others unconditionally. The ocean gives us life, and the moon watches over us. We thank you.”

“Tui and La,” Bato murmured reverently. “You are balance, and we follow in hopes to find that balance for ourselves. We thank you.”

They knelt together in the snow, watching some clouds gather overhead. It would storm again, soon. He would have to tell Hakoda when they got back. Bato rose and held a hand to his wife, who took it gratefully. She looked up to the sky and smiled with closed eyes as the sun’s rays danced over her dark skin.

“Thank you, Bato,” she said, letting him lead her away from the water’s edge.

“Your grief is mine, beloved.” Bato asked, nudging her a little.

Kyra shook her head. “Isn’t it selfish, to think of this when our nephew was born?” she asked.

“Our friends wouldn’t think so,” Bato said. “Kya and Hakoda love us, and wish us as much happiness as we want for them. They wouldn’t deny us the right to pray or ask for a miracle of our own.”

Kyra hummed and nodded, walking back to the village with Bato, hand in hand.

* * *

_They aren’t here._

_They’re never here._

Agni watched the world, eyes carefully following his son. A child of fire swathed in green clothes on a boat docked at a small island. He was so far from home—too far. The Autumn Lord danced about, creating mischief where they saw fit. Agni felt a twinge of annoyance at their jubilance. Didn’t they see how much danger the boy faced? His child was _lost._ He was away from his home, near a land where they sheared his children, stealing their honor before slaughtering them. He was in a place where they would gut him the moment they saw his eyes. This was not a time for frivolous games!

_Lord of Storms and Wind, you test me,_ Agni growled. The Autumn Lord stilled. They let out a rush of air, and all the boats in the harbor rocked on the new waves. The humans pointed, frightened. Agni felt remorse for stealing the Autumn Lord’s joy. _My friend, I’m sorry. I just need their answer, and they aren’t here to give it._

_They are waiting for yours,_ the Autumn Lord said. _Your sister will always wait for you when it comes to your children, and the lady of the moon does not trifle with matters of family so lightly. The fire prince is your child. What do you want?_

_I want him to be safe!_ Agni burned. Lightning struck and fires roared. The Autumn Lord danced away, casting rain in Agni’s shadow. _But how can he be safe so close to the South Pole? My children need the sun. Without Tui’s blessing, he will die in winter, and that is only months away!_

_Why wouldn’t she bless the child?_

_Why would she? After all the pain my children have wrought, how could she be willing to bless him?_

The Autumn Lord laughed. Breezes blew through small, hanging chimes. _You are La’s brother. La is her beloved. She would not want to hurt you, for that would hurt La._

_Our children hurt each other,_ Agni sighed.

_They do,_ the Autumn Lord said, sadly. _But Children are foolish, and often fight. It does not mean there is no hope. Perhaps, if our children grew up together the way they were meant to, they will be able to teach the others not to fight._

_They are children._

_They begin as children,_ the Autumn Lord corrected. _Children grow up. Have faith in your sister and her beloved. They will support you._

Agni thought about it, watching his daughter weep over the loss of her son. He gazed upon the boy as more threats came nearer to him. He stared at the couple in the South Pole, who doted on the babe born to their friends. At last, he nodded. The Autumn Lord grinned and danced away, the wind following in their wake.

* * *

“Here,” Li said, bringing a package on board. The rain finally let up. “I got us coin and supplies. We’re going South.”

“South?” Harmony asked, frowning. “What’s south?”

“Some items to trade for the island, and a gift for Chief Hakoda, of the Southern Water Tribe.”

“We can’t go to the South Pole!”

Li rolled his eyes. “We won’t be. They’ll meet us near Whale Tail Island.” He glanced at the boy. “The Water Tribe—they believe in family. When they hear about a boy who was abandoned by his,” he trailed off, shrugging a little. Harmony raised an eyebrow and Li cleared his throat. “It’s our best chance.”

“A Fire Nation prince raised by the Southern Water Tribe?” she asked, bouncing the baby in her arms. As they left the Fire Nation, they learned more about the prince than they expected. All anyone could talk about was the sudden disappearance of the new prince, who had just had his birthday on the Winter Solstice. Princess Ursa was distraught, but Prince Ozai carried on with the strength expected of Fire Nation nobility. A search had been conducted throughout the islands, and just before they left the Fire Nation altogether, they received a messenger hawk from their benefactor. Li nervously replied the job had been carried out, trying not to wonder at the royal seal stamped outside the container on the hawk’s harness.

“Every family we’ve talked to in the Earth Kingdom refuses to help. I think we’re lucky none have come after us to kill him,” Li said, regretfully. Some of those people stared at the boy with murder in their eyes. He wouldn’t be safe there.

“He’s a baby!” Harmony shouted. The boy cried in her arms. “Shh, hush now.”

“Yeah, I know, but some people—well they can’t really tell the difference between a kid and a soldier, when it comes to Fire Nation,” Li said, frowning. “At least with the Water Tribe, he has a chance.”

“Alright,” Harmony relented. “I hope they can help.”

Li nodded as the crew prepared to set sail. _Me too,_ he thought. If this didn’t work, they would have to risk the Earth Kingdom again, and he didn’t think they would be so lucky the next time around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Writing Notes:  
> 1\. I don’t know if this needs to be explained, but closer to the poles there are long stretches of time where the sun doesn’t set or rise. At the south pole and north pole, this goes for 6 months. Where the Southern Water Tribe is place near the coast, it’s more likely going to be 3 or 4 months. Winter in the south pole is April to October. Since the Water Tribe is doing trade and is actively involved with the other nations, I’ve got them using the same calendar as everyone else (In the first season, Aang said he had to get to the Fire Temple by the Winter Solstice, and Sokka and Katara didn’t even bat an eye at the date. Also, Sokka mentions Midnight Sun Madness when they meet Aang, implying in the AtLA universe, seasons work the same way at the Poles as they do in real life). This is going to be tricky, because they are going to talk about summer and winter at opposite times from the rest of the year, but they still keep the same dates for the solstices (summer solstice will be during the winter in the south pole, and winter solstice will be during the summer). Please bear with me.
> 
> 2\. Sokka’s name is phonetic according to the things I looked up, but there are a lot of things in the wiki that indicate the meaning behind Sokka’s name is understand. Soka (so desu ka) is a Japanese phrase for “oh I see,” or “I understand,” and one of the Kanji used to write Sokka’s name means inquire. I went with it. :-)
> 
> 3\. Spirit scenes are weird and hard. Just saying. It still isn’t… what I want it to be? But I couldn’t keep fiddling with it, so… here we are.
> 
> 4\. I don’t think most people would want to murder a baby. Harmony and Li keep hitting all these Earth Kingdom cities that have been constantly raided by the Fire Nation. People are scared, and sometimes, people are horrible. Remember in the episode where Tom-Tom gets accidentally kidnapped by the refugees who leave Omashu? Their leader said that bit about “sure, he’s a baby now, but in a few years…” that felt very… ominous to me. It gave me a read into the attitude some people in the Earth Kingdom could have about anyone from the Fire Nation, including children. Harmony and Li are having really bad luck where they’re stopping, but what else can you expect with Zuko traveling with them? Most unlucky guy on the planet. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! Please leave a comment to let me know your thoughts, and a kudos if you were entertained. Also, I'm [@hanuko](https://hanuko.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr! Come by and say hello!


	4. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Bato studied the boy’s face, frowning. He looked normal. He was just a small, pale thing with chubby cheeks and a tiny round nose. His gold eyes held onto Bato’s with interest._
> 
> _Gold eyes._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, when I first posted this I was not expecting the reaction I got. Thanks everyone for all your kudos and kind comments! It really is the only recognition I get, so I appreciate it very much. 
> 
> Here is the next chapter. It's a little different from the last ones because it is all from the same POV. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Bato grinned once land came into view. “Chief,” he yelled, catching Hakoda’s attention. “We should be at Whale Tail Island within the hour!”

Hakoda stood and passed the tiller to someone else before he made his way toward Bato. “Thank goodness,” he said, clapping his hand on his first mate’s shoulder. “The sooner we can finish our trade, the sooner I can be home. If I’m not careful, that boy will grow up without me!”

Bato laughed, shaking his head. “We could have handled this one, Hakoda. You know that.”

Hakoda sighed. “You know why I had to come.”

Bato did. Hakoda was a relatively new chief. He needed to make his presence known and respected to those outside the tribe.

“It’ll be over soon,” he replied, nudging Hakoda. The chief smiled, staring at the island they were approaching.

“Have the men bring up the furs and seal jerky,” Hakoda said. “I want us in and out as soon as possible.”

“Will do, Chief,” Bato replied, waving him off. He directed several men to bring up their wares, keeping an eye on their destination. The flurry of activity kept Bato occupied until they docked. After they tied their boat, a man jumped onto the dock from the neighboring ship, grinning.

“Hey there,” he shouted at Hakoda and Bato as they climbed onto the dock. His bright green eyes twinkled in the sunlight. “My name’s Li. I understand you have some trade with Kyoshi Island?”

“Where’s Haru?” Hakoda asked, frowning. “I thought he would be trading with us today.”

“You wouldn’t believe it,” Li responded, rubbing a hand through his messy brown hair. “A huge storm came up in the harbor. There was lightning and massive winds. A tree got torn up by the roots and smashed Haru’s boat! We happened to be in the area and have managed trade deals for the island before, so he asked us to go in his stead. I’ve got a letter, if it will help.” Li pulled a scroll from his pocket and handed it to Hakoda. Hakoda took it and carefully unfurled it, reading the message.

“Hmm,” Hakoda said, lowering his brows. “Alright, but I’m not haggling with you,” he said, folding his arms over his chest as the crew unloaded the boat. “Haru and I already know what everything is worth, and our trade arrangement has been this way since my father was Chief.”

Li held up his hands peacefully. “I’ve got strict orders not to haggle, Chief Hakoda,” he said, grinning in a friendly way.

Hakoda nodded, smiling. A woman with a long dark braid and dark skin jumped off the boat with a child in one arm and a small bundle in the other. “Li!” she shouted, waving the bundle. Once she reached him she put the child down, letting the boy toddle around the dock. “You forgot this,” she said, handing him the bundle.

“Spirits,” Li muttered, turning red. “I can’t believe I almost forgot. Chief Hakoda,” he said, holding out the bundle. “This is a gift for you from Kyoshi Island. Haru said something about congratulations?” Hakoda and Li started to step towards the wares and continued their conversation while Bato watched the small child wander. He had a pile of fluffy, jet black hair on his head and was wrapped in green and brown clothes that looked too big for him. He walked past Bato’s legs to the edge of the dock, making the man crouch down in concern. As soon as he was in arms reach of the child, the boy tripped and started to fall toward the water. Bato reached out and caught him deftly, cradling the boy near his chest.

“Whoa there, cub,” he said, rocking the boy. He looked up at Bato with wide eyes, surprised. Bato was about to scold the woman—this was far too dangerous for a child—when the boy giggled and grabbed his hair. He tugged on it, making Bato wince. He reached up and gently pulled the boy’s hands away from his hair.

“None of that,” he said, softly. The boy cooed and tugged on his tunic instead, making Bato smile.

“He seems to like you,” the woman said, easily, folding her arms over her chest. Bato frowned at her.

“He’s lucky he wasn’t hurt,” he growled. The woman shrugged.

“Yeah,” she said, “he is. I’m not very maternal. Should have figured he’d try to throw himself off the dock.”

Bato’s mouth hung open. “Your son could have died, just now. Don’t you care?”

“He’s not mine,” she said, nonchalantly. Bato blinked and looked to Li, who was gesturing at some crates that came from their ship. “Not Li’s either. He doesn’t belong to anyone.”

“What?”

“He was lost. Someone tried to kill him, if you can believe that. And his family—well, he can’t go back to them. They’re the worst kind of people,” she continued, examining her nails. She flicked her eyes up to Bato. “We’ve been trying to find someone to take him in, actually, but haven’t had any luck.”

“Why not?” Bato asked, shaking his head. He never understood the strict definition of family in the other nations. Everyone in the tribe was family, and everyone had an important role to keep the family safe and healthy. No child would ever be left alone if their parents were gone. 

“Is it really hard to guess?” she asked, narrowing her eyes. “Look at him.”

“I already did,” Bato spluttered.

“Look at his _face_.”

Bato studied the boy’s face, frowning. He looked normal. He was just a small, pale thing with chubby cheeks and a tiny round nose. His gold eyes held onto Bato’s with interest.

_Gold eyes._

Bato looked up, stunned. The woman was examining him, unsure. He blinked down at the child and the woman took a careful step toward him, making him look up again. He could see fear flickering in her eyes, as if she were trying to figure out if the child was in danger as he held him.

“Fire Nation?” he asked quietly, holding the child out for her to take. The boy shouted when he was dragged away from Bato’s chest, whining at the loss of contact.

“Yes,” she said, making no move to take the baby. Bato carefully pulled him back, rocking him slightly until he calmed down. “There’s no hiding those eyes.”

“I see,” Bato said. “So no one wants him in the Earth Kingdom.”

She nodded. “To be honest, I think we’re lucky no one _killed_ him in the Earth Kingdom.”

Bato gaped at her. “He’s a baby!”

She shrugged. “He’s Fire Nation. Not only that, but he comes from ash makers.” Bato glanced down again, seeing how his eyes sparkled in the sunlight. “Li and I don’t know what else to do. I suppose we’ll have to raise him on our boat. It won’t be much, but at least he’ll have food to eat and clothes on his back.”

“You act as though raising a child will be a hardship,” Bato growled. The boy made a curious noise and Bato hushed him, giving him some seal jerky from his belt pouch. The child gnawed on it enthusiastically.

“It is,” she replied. “I don’t want children. Never did. He fell into my lap. I’ll do the job if I have to, but I’m no mother, and Li isn’t exactly enthusiastic about the idea, either.” She smiled at the boy’s drool covered face. “You seem to be a natural, though.”

Bato shook his head. “We can’t just take a firebender back home.”

“He has no one,” she said, sadness creeping into her tone. He slowly shook his head. “He’s only a year old. His birthday was on the Winter Solstice.” Bato’s breath caught on the words. Last year, he and Kyra lost their child on the Solstice. His heart fluttered. Had they been heard? Was this La’s answer to their prayer?

She reached her arms out. “It’s alright. I don’t know why I brought him out.” Bato took a step back, still cradling the child against him.

“No one? He has no one at all?”

“No one who can help him,” she replied slowly, dropping her arms to her sides. “No one who can really love him.”

And it was true. The Fire Nation had no love for people. How could he send a child back to a place that kidnapped, pillaged, and slaughtered anyone they came across? How could he send a little boy to a family who didn’t want him enough to protect him, who would only measure his value in his ability to kill?

“I lost a child, last year,” he said, quietly. The woman tilted her head curiously. “She was born on the Winter Solstice, and she never took a breath. We couldn’t even give her a name.”

“Do you want to give this one a name?” the woman asked, quietly. Bato did. He felt it in his very heart. He wanted to bring this miracle back to Kyra. He wanted to accept this blessing from the Spirits. The question was whether or not the Chief would allow it.

They waited for Hakoda and Li to finish with the trade. The woman—Harmony, Bato learned—waited on the deck while Bato went to Hakoda, carrying the child.

“Who’s your friend?” he asked, wiggling a finger at the boy and bopping him on the nose.

“He doesn’t have a name,” Bato replied.

Hakoda raised his eyebrows. “A little old for the couple to hold out on naming him, don’t you think?” he laughed.

Bato wore a stoic expression. He stared at Hakoda until the smile slipped from his face.

“He doesn’t have a name because no one wanted him,” Bato said. Hakoda frowned peering into the boy’s face. His eyebrows narrowed.

“Bato, his eyes—is he—”

“Yes,” Bato said, cutting Hakoda off. “He’s from the Fire Nation, but those savages didn’t want him, and the Earth Kingdom don’t see a child, they see a firebender.”

“ _Is_ he a firebender?” Hakoda asked, uneasily.

Bato shrugged. “That remains to be seen.”

Hakoda stared at Bato, eyes questioning. “Bato, you aren’t proposing that you keep this child?”

Bato swallowed nervously. “Yes, I am.” Hakoda shook his head. “This boy needs a family, and my family wants a child, Hakoda.”

“But Bato,” Hakoda said, throwing up his hands, “he could be dangerous to our tribe!”

“He’s a boy.”

“He’s Fire Nation!”

“He’s a miracle, Hakoda. He’s the miracle that we asked for.”

Hakoda’s mouth opened and closed a few times. “What are you talking about?”

“We prayed for him,” Bato said, fiercely. Hakoda’s eyes widened. “Kyra and I. After we lost our daughter, we prayed to Tui and La for a child of our own. La brought him here on an Earth Kingdom ship. He is meant to be with us, Hakoda.”

Hakoda shook his head. “Coincidence, Bato.”

“He has no family.”

“That doesn’t mean La brought him to you!”

“He came just after we asked for a child,” Bato pressed on, heart pounding.

“Again, coincidence,” Hakoda said firmly.

“His birthday is the Winter Solstice.”

Hakoda opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He looked down at the boy and up at his friend’s face, comprehension dawning over his expression.

“The Winter Solstice?”

“He’s a year old, Hakoda,” Bato said. The boy in question started to cry, making Bato lift him higher to his shoulder to comfort him. The boy cried into Bato’s neck, small hands gripping at his hair. Bato felt his heart swell as he quieted down.

“Tui and La,” Hakoda breathed. He rubbed the back of his head. “Bato, you can’t go back on something like this. It’s not a decision you should make lightly.”

“No, it’s not,” Bato agreed. “But my heart knows he is mine, Hakoda. Can you really ask a man to argue with his heart?” The boy pulled his face away and turned to face Hakoda, making grabby hands at him. With Bato’s permission, Hakoda took the child and held him up, scrutinizing him. The boy kicked out his legs and waved his arms, laughing at being held so high. Hakoda’s face broke into a sunny smile. He brought him close, and the boy grabbed one of his beaded braids, tugging on it. Hakoda winced, but the smile didn’t leave his face as he passed the baby back to Bato.

“What will Kyra say?” Hakoda asked.

Bato laughed. “She will cry and laugh and thank the Spirits for answering her prayer.”

“But he’s Fire Nation,” Hakoda sighed. “Will that really not matter?”

“She won’t see Fire Nation, even with eyes the color of the sun,” Bato said. “She will see a baby who needs her. She will see a child without a mother.”

Hakoda stared at Bato for a few heartbeats. “Well, I suppose it will be fun to be an uncle,” he replied, softly. Bato grinned, filled with elation.

“You mean it?” he asked, breathlessly.

“Yes,” Hakoda chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. “Let’s finish up and sail out while the tide is with us.”

“Thank you,” Bato said, blinking back tears.

Hakoda grasped his shoulder. “I would never tell you no, my friend. Not for something like this.”

Bato laughed, swinging the child in the air over his head, making him shriek and giggle. It was like a missing piece of his heart was finally found and slotted back into place. He would cherish this boy forever and love him even longer. He belonged to him and Kyra, now.

This boy was his son.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Writing Notes:
> 
> 1\. I know very, very little about boating, and my real life experience does NOT involve boats that are similar to the ones the Water Tribe uses. I googled some things and am hoping they were right. A tiller (as far as I understand it) is a stick on the end of a boat that you use to steer. I also believe there was space on the boat for the men to sleep and store things below deck (according to what I read from the wiki) but honestly, I could be very, very wrong. I hope it’s not off-putting. 
> 
> 2\. Harmony comes off as very uncaring for Zuko’s well-being. She isn’t. The thing is, she’s gruff, she’s young, and she’s not _maternal_. She also doesn’t have the common sense of what is or isn’t dangerous for a child. When Zuko almost fell of the dock, she was very worried, but Bato caught him and all was well, and she filed it away in her “do not let the baby do this,” folder in her brain. But this is from Bato’s perspective. He can only read her face and tone, and has decided she doesn’t really care that much. Harmony does care, but she knows she’s not a mom and doesn’t want to be one. She’s really just resigned to take care of the baby because she can’t just let him be killed. 
> 
> 3\. Now obviously we know from chapter one that lots of people in Zuko’s family loved him. Bato doesn’t know that. All he knows about the Fire Nation is how horrible they are to the rest of the world. He assumes that’s how they are with their own people. It’s funny that he’s not off the mark, considering Zuko’s dad is Ozai. 
> 
> 4\. I don’t know if we’ll ever revisit Harmony and Li again after this, so here are some tidbits. They aren’t a couple. A lot of people make assumptions about them, though. They are young (about 18 or 19) and travel a lot. They are basically mercenaries. They take on a lot of different jobs, but most people hire them to protect their stuff, assassinate people, or deliver things. I don’t have any future plans for them, but we’ll see. If I need an OC partway through…. ;-)
> 
> Thanks for reading! Please leave a comment to let me know your thoughts, and a kudos if you were entertained. Also, I'm [@hanuko](https://hanuko.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr if you want to send me prompts, ask me questions, or just say hi. :-)


	5. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"Hakoda looked down, eyes serious. “They can’t feel the sun rise in winter, because it doesn’t. Firebenders that were captured here, they never made it through the winter. The strongest would survive for maybe three months before they perished, either from madness or sickness. Mother wasn’t sure.”_
> 
> _Bato swallowed. “Why are you telling me this?” His heart pounded in his chest._
> 
> _“Kallik’s eyes spark, Bato,” Hakoda said, looking into his friend’s eyes. “They dance like fire, and he’s Fire Nation.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The love for this story is absolutely amazing to me. Thank you so much! With how many kudos and comments the last chapter got, I was really inspired, and will be doing a double update! Once I'm done editing the next chapter, I'll go ahead and post it, so be on the look out sometime later today (or tomorrow, depending on your location). 
> 
> This chapter was _hard._ I'll explain why in my end notes. Hope you enjoy!

“Tarkik.”

“No.”

“Koko.”

“Hmm, maybe.”

“Nanouk?”

Kyra laughed, bouncing the baby boy on her knee. “You have great love for that name,” she said, grinning. Bato shrugged, wiggling his fingers at the boy and making him giggle.

When he brought the child to Kyra, she broke down in tears before immediately thanking the Great Spirits. She fell in love with his soft hair and golden eyes, and she held him like she could never let him go. Bato understood. He was like that with the boy the whole journey back.

“It’s a good, strong, Water Tribe name,” Bato defended, grinning. “What about Toklo? For your father?”

“My brother was named for my father already,” Kyra replied. “Maybe Tonraq?”

Bato made a face. “No,” he replied, shaking his head.

“Why not?”

“When I went Ice Dodging, the boy manning the main sail was named Tonraq. He’s the reason I have a scar on my boat,” Bato said darkly. Kyra laughed.

“Well, there’s always Soomool,” she offered. Bato shrugged. They had been going over names for two days now. Even Kya and Hakoda offered input, with baby Sokka in tow. The new boy was fascinated with the chief’s son. Bato hoped they would become good friends. Kyra handed the boy to him and he lifted him up so their noses could touch. The boy went a little cross-eyed, making Bato laugh.

“You know what his eyes remind me of?” he asked Kyra.

“The sun?” she asked, grinning.

Bato shook his head. “No. Well, yes, I suppose. But they look like the sky during a storm, when lightning strikes.”

“You mean when the sky turns to gold for a moment?” Kyra asked, thoughtfully. Bato nodded. Kyra hummed in thought.

“What about Kallik?”

Kallik was an amazing child. He played with the other children as well as he could, and he took to the snow like a penguin took to water. Bato had worried that his nationality would make him predisposed to do poorly in such cold weather, but it seemed the boy thrived in his new environment, giddy and playful with everyone around him. At times he seemed to run hot, and Kyra occasionally worried he was feverish, but Kallik never even had a sniffle to accompany his temperature.

After a few weeks, Hakoda started acting odd around Bato. Between their duties and their new roles as fathers to their respective children, Bato didn’t have much time to ask Hakoda about his behavior. It always lingered in the back of his mind, though. One day, after a hunting trip, Bato found a moment to pull the chief aside.

“What’s wrong?” he asked as they delivered the leopard-wolf carcasses to the rest of the villagers to clean. Hakoda sighed and looked around, pulling Bato away from the other villagers.

“I think you should walk with me,” he replied. Bato nodded and followed Hakoda past the icy wall the separated the village from the beach. They walked through the ice and snow. The sun was still high in the sky, but it was starting to get lower each day. Soon, they would have day and night again. Bato looked forward to it; the midnight sun could be trying after a while.

Hakoda stopped at the edge of the water and stared at the horizon. Bato frowned, folding his arms over his chest.

“What is it?” he asked, impatiently.

Hakoda frowned, glancing at Bato from the corner of his eye. “I spoke with my mother.”

Bato raised an eyebrow. “I would hope so,” he replied. “She did give birth to you and raise you, after all.”

Hakoda didn’t chuckle, which put Bato on edge. Hakoda always laughed at a bad joke. “What’s going on?” he asked, worry coloring his tone.

Hakoda took a deep breath, then turned to face his friend. “Did you know before, during some of the raids, we would capture the firebenders?” he asked, quietly.

  
Bato furrowed his brow. “I can’t say I did. I thought they were always killed.”

“Yes, I did as well. While my father was chief, the ones that were caught were killed, and never kept prisoner. I had always wondered about that. It seemed very merciless to me, which was not how I usually thought of my father.” A breeze picked up, piercing through Bato’s coat and making him shiver.

“I remember,” Bato said, thinking of the times that Hakoda had talked to Bato about it, swearing if he were able, he would be more compassionate.

“My mother just explained why my father had the firebenders killed,” Hakoda said, slowly. “It was kinder than keeping them captive.”

Bato’s jaw dropped. “How?”

“Mother said that the firebenders—they’re different. Waterbenders can feel the water in everything, even the air. Earthbenders are rooted and strong, and are tied to their element no matter where they are. Firebenders are like airbenders. They are never away from their element.”

“Because they create it,” Bato said, shrugging.

“No,” Hakoda replied. “Because they can always feel the sun.” He stared at Bato very seriously. “Even when they are locked away from it, they can still feel how it rises and sets. The sun is always there.”

Hakoda looked down, eyes serious. “They can’t feel the sun rise in winter, because it doesn’t. Firebenders that were captured here, they never made it through the winter. The strongest would survive for maybe three months before they perished, either from madness or sickness. Mother wasn’t sure.”

Bato swallowed. “Why are you telling me this?” His heart pounded in his chest.

“Kallik’s eyes spark, Bato,” Hakoda said, looking into his friend’s eyes. “They dance like fire, and he’s Fire Nation.”

“No,” Bato said firmly. He wouldn’t hear this.

“We don’t know if he’s a bender, but it’s better to be prepared—”

“No!” Bato shouted, throwing up his hands. Hakoda winced. “You’re telling me my child, my _second_ child, is going to die. That he’ll be taken from me like the first! Well I refuse. The Spirits wouldn’t have given him to us just to let him slip away in winter.”

“Bato—”

“For all we know, he isn’t even a bender,” Bato went on, speaking over Hakoda. “And if he is, it doesn’t matter. He’s strong, Hakoda. He’s strong and he is loved and we will take care of him. I will surround him with fire if that’s what it will take. I refuse to lose him!”

Hakoda gripped his shoulders and Bato realized he was shaking and his face was wet.

“I can’t lose him, Hakoda.” he whispered. His friend pulled him into an embrace, patting him solidly on the back.

“We’ll give offerings to Tui and La,” he responded. “We will help in any way we can. We love Kallik too, Bato.”

Bato didn’t want to tell Kyra. He couldn’t. He refused to break her heart, not when they didn’t even know if Kallik was a firebender. It was better to enjoy their time together without the burden of knowing how soon their child could be taken from them. She learned it anyway. He could never hide anything from his wife. She shook her head when she heard the news, smiling at her husband.

“This child is an answer to our prayers, Bato,” she said, watching the boy sleep in his small bed. Kallik smacked his lips in his sleep, rolling slightly. As the nights drew longer, the boy had a bit less energy, and he slept easier, much to Kyra and Bato’s relief.

“I know,” Bato replied with a sigh.

“Tui and La would not grant him to us if he couldn’t survive,” she continued. “Agni wouldn’t want one of his blessed to lose his life because of their whims. Have faith, my husband. All is as it should be.”

He did as his wife asked, playing with his son and nephew, watching Kallik clap when Sokka crawled for the first time, listening to his son call them ‘da,’ and ‘mama,’ as he babbled away at them. Though the worry lingered in his heart, he refused to let it tarnish the joy of raising the darling boy.

As winter approached, Kallik got fussier, but that was normal for such a young child, especially one not as used to the polar winters as the rest of the tribe. He carried on, though, and Bato started bringing him along to the stores where the tribe stocked non-perishable food and extra supplies for the long nights ahead. It would be dangerous to hunt now. All was quiet in the village.

Kallik was not doing well.

Kyra rocked him and soothed him. Bato tickled him and played with him. They built up the fire in their tent as much as they could. Nothing seemed to help. After the first week without the sun, the boy cried relentlessly. After the first month, he stopped playing and laughing. In the second month, he became quiet and listless.

In the third month, he stopped eating.

Bato saw his wife’s face break, and felt a familiar ache in his chest pulse to life as they begged their child to eat something. Kallik reached a point where he barely opened his eyes, anymore. Then, one day, he didn’t wake up.

“Kallik,” Kyra whispered as she held the sleeping child, tears streaming down her face, “my little boy, please wake up for mama? Please?”

Bato pressed his lips together and wrapped his arms around the two of them. Kyra sobbed and pressed Kallik into his arms, wiping her face with her sleeve. Bato pressed the boy against his shoulder and slipped out of the hut into the moonlight, giving his wife a moment with her grief. It was the same as the last time. The only difference was that they had the opportunity to get to know their child. Bato felt his heart coming apart in his chest as he rocked the boy in the frigid night air. He hummed quietly, looking up to the sky.

The moon was full and hung low in the sky. Bato kissed Kallik’s head and pressed his nose to his hair, trying to commit his smell to memory.

“Tui,” he whispered, “I—I know that we asked for one miracle. Asking for another seems greedy.” His voice was watery. “But—my child is dying. He’s dying here, away from Agni, and I can’t—I can’t bear it.” He shuddered, holding his son tightly. “I thought La carried him to us because he belonged with us. I thought… I thought he came to us because he needed to be loved and cherished. Now with his illness—well, I don’t know anymore.”

“I just wanted him so badly. There was a hole in my heart. I didn’t even _know_ how broken I was until he healed me. I didn’t know how broken _Kyra_ was until he healed her,” Bato shuddered. “Tui, please. Please help my child. Even if you can’t heal him, at least let this be painless. I don’t want to say goodbye, but even if you must take him, don’t let him suffer. Please.”

Bato frowned. The sky seemed lighter. He looked up and saw the moon was shining much brighter than before, casting the village in an odd, low light that was similar to twilight. A small breeze blew, making Bato shiver.

Kallik snuffled and cried.

Bato stared at him, startled. The boy blinked and cried, burrowing into Bato’s coat. “Da,” the boy babbled. “Da, cold.”

He glowed in the moonlight. Bato watched in wonderment as a long streak of his hair turned white. Kallik looked up at him with wide gold eyes, blinking in the harsh light of the moon.

Bato laughed and grinned. “Thank you!” he whispered, turning and running back inside. Kyra was kneeling beside the bed, still weeping.

“Kyra,” he said, excited. She sat up, shoulders still shaking as she wiped her eyes.

“Mama!” Kallik shrieked, reaching for her. Kyra’s eyes widened and she stood immediately, crossing the distance quickly. Bato handed the boy to her and watched as joy filled her face again.

“Kallik?” she asked. “Are you awake now?”

Kallik babbled at her, tugging on the collar of her coat. “Foo. Hungy, Mama, foo?” Kyra laughed and spun around with Kallik in her arms.

Bato had always respected the Spirits. Now, he would never doubt their intent again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Writing Notes:
> 
> 1\. All the names that are listed (except one) are Yupik and Innuit names. Also, Bato like Nanouk because I like Nanouk, which translates to polar bear. Soomool is actually a suggestion from a friend of mine, who gave me some translations from Korean words for water and how I could combine them to make a name. 
> 
> 2\. My take on firebenders at the poles is not a unique concept. Many writers before me have suspected that firebenders would not survive polar winter, and I have mixed feelings about it. We don't see firebenders away from the sun for very long in canon, and we have seen that extremely low temperatures are used as punishment, so I imagine the poles would not be the friendliest place for them. I decided to twist things to suit my purposes. 
> 
> 3\. Why the chapter was hard AF: I am a mom. I have a little boy who is my world. Writing about parents potentially losing their child is really frightening and depressing for me. Parents do have a constant fear that something will happen to their children that never goes away no matter how old they get (or at least I do). So writing from this perspective was especially difficult for me. 
> 
> 4\. Yes, I did the white hair thing. I fought myself on that. I'm sure there is a group of you that is rolling your eyes so hard at this. That's fair. My reasoning is that when some Spirits interfere with humans in canon, it shows. Koh steals faces. The Mother of Faces changes people's appearances. Tui turns hair white. Because there seems to be a visible reminder that a Spirit got involved, I included it. And it will be utilized later on. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed! Please leave a kudos if you were entertained, and a comment to let me know your thoughts. Or, come holler at me on [Tumblr!](https://hanuko.tumblr.com/)


	6. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Kallik looked up when he heard Kato chuckle. “I should have known,” the older boy said, reaching into his pouch. “Everyone, watch Kallik. He’s going to go first, since he’s already made a friend here.”_
> 
> _“I’m gonna go first at what?” Kallik asked._
> 
> _“Penguin sledding!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, here is the double update! And to counteract the heaviness of the last chapter, I give you **FLUFF!**
> 
> Because what kind of person would I be to write all these kid scenes and have nothing soft and happy? 
> 
> I mean, it ain't all sunshine, but that's _later._ Right now, lets have some happy fluffy bits. 
> 
> Hope you like it!

Kyra grinned, watching Kallik shriek with laughter as Kato’s new pet licked his neck. The young boy had just gotten a polar dog puppy after he had finished ice dodging with his father, and he showed it off to the other children. The animal had taken a strong liking to Kallik—a commonality shared by most animals that lived nearby—and kept romping around the boy, insisting he play. Sokka laughed, chewing on the ball of Hakoda’s club.

“Sokka!” Hakoda barked, grabbing the club away, “don’t chew on that!”

Little Sokka’s bottom lip quivered as tears filled his big blue eyes. After two sniffles, the boy wailed, reaching his little hands out for the toy that had suddenly been taken from him.

“Give me that,” Kya said, shifting baby Katara from one breast to the other and snatching Hakoda’s club from his hands. The newborn handled the change with surprising adaptability, latching back on with ease. Hakoda spluttered as Kya handed the club back to Sokka.

“There you are my fierce little warrior,” she said, smiling at the boy who giggled as he chewed on the club again.

“Kya, that’s a weapon,” Hakoda said, exasperated.

She shrugged. “It’s not sharp, and he can’t hurt himself with it. Let him play a bit, Hakoda.”

“Mama?” Kyra turned to see Kallik had wandered back to the adults and away from the other children. Kato’s dog tried to follow, but was scooped up by the teenager before he could get far.

“Hi love,” Kyra said, holding out her arms for a hug. Kallik wrapped his arms around her neck and kissed her on the cheek with an open mouth, making her laugh.

“Mama, is it dinner?” Kallik asked. Kyra reached into the pouch sitting next to her, pulling out some dried sea-prunes. She held the snack to Kallik, who took it with a big grin on his face.

“The food is almost ready, love,” she said. “This should help your tummy, yeah?” Kallik nodded and snuggled into her, chewing on the salty snack. Kyra smiled fondly at the boy before looking up to catch Kya staring at them with a warm expression. Kyra raised an eyebrow.

“You’re so happy, my friend,” Kya said. “I’m so glad Kallik found his way to you and Bato, and even gladder to know him.” Some arguing from several of the hunters caught Hakoda’s attention. Kya gave him a kiss on his cheek before he left, then turned her attention back to Katara. The little girl snuggled into her mother as she nursed.

“I am too,” Kyra admitted, feeling her heart fill as Kallik stood up and walked over to Sokka. This was the first day of sunshine they had after a long winter, and Kyra could tell he was enjoying the change. He sat down and offered some of his snack to his friend, and Sokka squealed as he grabbed the food and shoved it in his mouth. “I don’t think I knew how much was missing from me, before he came.”

Kya nodded, adjusting the baby in her arms.

“Do you think he’s a firebender? I mean, since he did so poorly last year? Hakoda was worried when Kanna told him he might not survive. We both were.”

Kyra frowned, thoughtfully. “At first, I did. He became so ill, and Kanna had said _only_ firebenders were affected. That first summer, when we had him, he was so active. He couldn’t sleep well. Then the winter came and all he seemed to want to do was sleep, and he was miserable.”

“This year, though, he acted different,” Kyra continued, thoughtfully, staring at the white streak in Kallik’s hair. “He was less active, but we all are without seeing the sun in so long. Otherwise he was completely fine. I know Tui blessed him—perhaps that meant taking his bending so he could survive.”

Kya nodded. “I suppose that’s possible, but if waterbenders are the blessed of the Water Tribes, then wouldn’t firebenders be the blessed of the Fire Nation? I can’t imagine one Great Spirit interfering with another’s child in that way.”

Kyra shrugged. “We’ll just have to watch. I wouldn’t worry, though. Even if he is a firebender, he can do it safely here, surrounded by ice and snow. There is very little he could burn that we couldn’t fix, and perhaps it will encourage the men to actually get to work on building some more structures, instead of these huts and tents!”

Kya chuckled. “Kyra, you know it’s because of the raiders that our homes are less permanent. We never know when we have to move.”

“But the last raid was 10 years ago,” Kyra replied. “When we were very young, not even old enough to marry! There are no waterbenders left,” she said, sadly. “While that breaks my heart, we all know the only reason the raids happened was to steal them away.”

Kya hummed. “Perhaps you’re right. I’ll mention this to Hakoda. Maybe it has been long enough that we can start to rebuild.”

* * *

“Come on,” Kato said, blue eyes sparkling as he led the smaller kids to the top of the hill. Kallik noticed Sokka begin to slow down and grabbed his hand, urging him to stay ahead of the pack. It wouldn’t be proper for the chief’s son to fall behind everyone else, and his dad always told him that they took care of family.

“Thanks,” Sokka panted, grinning at the older boy. Kallik shrugged and smiled back before turning his attention to Kato again. The teenager shushed them when they reached the peak, and gestured for them to look around. They were surrounded by funny looking birds that waddled in the snow. Kallik pressed his hand to his mouth to keep quiet, eyes widening at the sight. The birds flapped their four wings as they walked around, making funny honking sounds at each other.

“Does anyone know what these are?” Kato asked quietly, crouching down so he was level with the group. No one answered, and Kallik shook his head and lowered his hand again.

Kato grinned, tucking his thick dark hair behind his ear. “These are penguins,” he said jovially, still keeping his voice low. “We don’t hunt them very often, because they aren’t good to eat and their pelts are too small to be useful. They show us where the good fishing spots are, and where the ice is most stable when we go out to the coast.”

“Wow,” Sokka breathed, big blue eyes wide at the sight of the birds. Kallik had to agree. They were like nothing he had ever seen before.

“Kato,” Kallik asked, “if they’re not for hunting, why did you bring us here? We don’t have any fishing stuff.”

Kato chuckled and stood back up, walking into the flock. The birds started to waddle away from him, but didn’t seem too perturbed by his presence. “Follow me,” he said, waving them over. “Walk slowly, okay?”

The children wandered into the flock, disrupting the penguins, who started to waddle away a little faster. Kallik let go of Sokka’s hand as he approached. The penguin he was next to was only a little smaller than him. It regarded him curiously, nudging its beak into his furs.

Kallik looked up when he heard Kato chuckle. “I should have known,” the older boy said, reaching into his pouch. “Everyone, watch Kallik. He’s going to go first, since he’s already made a friend here.”

“I’m gonna go first at what?” Kallik asked, furrowing his brow. Kato slowly walked over and put a pickled sardine into Kallik’s hand. The penguin started honking and flapping his flippers (because now that Kallik was close, he couldn’t call those wings, anymore) eyeing the fish the young boy held.

“Penguin sledding!” Kato chirped. “You give the penguin a fish, then get behind him and hold onto his shoulders with your hands. He’ll flatten out and go down the hill.” He laughed at Kallik’s shocked face. “Don’t worry, you won’t hurt him! This is how they move all the time, and they love kids because they feed them extra fish.”

Kallik furrowed his brow, eyeing the penguin warily. Kato didn’t have any reason to lie, but he was still uneasy. “You’re sure it won’t hurt them?” he asked. Other penguins started to come close to him, noticing he had a fish.

“I’m sure,” Kato said, warmly. “Go on, give him a fish and grab his shoulders. You’ll see.”

Kallik looked at Sokka who gave him a thumbs up. It was all the encouragement the boy needed. He offered the penguin the fish, who ate it greedily. As it chewed up the snack, Kallik moved behind and grabbed its shoulders. At the feeling of hand gripping his shoulders, the bird honked curiously, then started to walk toward the edge of the hill with Kallik still holding on. It flattened out, just like Kato said, and Kallik found himself straddling the bird’s back. It started to slide forward.

“Be sure to grip it’s belly with your knees!” Kato said. Kallik followed the advice just in time. One second, they were slowly sliding on the ice, then the next he was flying.

His stomach leapt into his throat and he screamed as he shot down the hill, gripping the bird like his life depended on it. The icy air pelted his face and his hood blew back. The wind tugged his hair out of the tail his mother tied it in that morning. Every little snowdrift made the penguin fly up into the air and back down, making Kallik’s stomach swoop. They were sliding, faster and faster, until suddenly they were slowing down as the ground evened out. Soon, the bird came to a stop and honked at him, standing up and dumping him to the ground. Kallik sat at the bottom of the huge icy hill, stunned for a moment before he laughed, feeling a huge smile take over his whole face.

He was ready to go again.

* * *

“I hate laundry day,” Koro muttered. Sokka nodded in agreement. Katara rolled her eyes.

“Clothes have to get clean, you know, and if they dry outside, they’ll freeze,” she said to the other little girl, as Sokka huddled closer to Kallik, who was carving a piece of driftwood.

“I wonder when Dad will let me start carving unsupervised,” he said, nudging him. “He keeps saying you’re allowed because you can self-manage.”

Kallik nudged him back. “I’m allowed because if I get a cut, I know to go to a grown up. You’d just try to hide it.” Sokka sighed but didn’t disagree, leaning against his friend.

“What are you doing?” Kallik asked, putting down his knife. He couldn’t carve anymore with Sokka leaning so heavily on his arm.

“It’s laundry day, so we aren’t allowed in the huts,” he replied, “and you’re super warm, so I’m snuggling.”

“Weirdo,” Kallik muttered, blushing.

“Really?” Koro asked, putting her hands on Kallik’s shoulders. She grinned and hugged him from behind. “Oh wow! You _are_ really warm, Kallik!” Kallik’s face turned even redder, making Sokka snicker. Katara eyed them for a minute before hugging Kallik from his other side, sighing a little.

“Guys,” Kallik said, helplessly.

“Well, until our moms let us back inside, you’re stuck with us,” Koro said in a matter-of-fact type of voice. “That’s what you get for being so warm.”

“Besides,” Katara added, giving him a smile, “you like hugs.”

Sokka laughed when Kallik didn’t argue.

* * *

Katara smiled, watching the globe of water hover over her. All she had to do was push and pull, like the moon did to the ocean, and the water just did what she wanted. She had been sneaking off to the beach by herself, afraid to tell anyone about her magic. People in the tribe seemed to struggle when others were different. She had seen how some of the grownups acted around Kallik because of his pale skin and gold eyes. They never said anything, but they always looked at him funny. It bothered her. So what if Kallik looked different? Why did it matter if his furs dried quicker than the rest of them, and the food on his plate stayed hotter longer than anyone else’s? It just meant they could trade furs with him or eat his snacks. He never minded, because he was nice like that.

Doing something really weird, like moving the water, would give her ugly looks too, and she wasn’t sure she would like that at all. So she kept it secret. No one needed to know how big of a wave she could make when she was mad, and no one needed to know she could make a big puddle of water hold still in the air. It was just for her, and no one else.

A quiet gasp startled her, and she spun around, dropping the water back into the ocean. Kallik and Sokka stood nearby, both staring at her with wide eyes. Sokka had a huge grin on his face, and even Kallik was smiling a little bit.

“Don’t tell, Sokka!” She said, putting her hands on her hips, trying to keep from crying.

“Don’t tell?” Sokka asked, shaking his head. “Oh man, Mom and Dad are gonna flip!”

“You shouldn’t have been spying!” Katara shouted, stamping her foot. Sokka took a step back, looking behind her. Katara wondered if she accidentally made a wave.

“It’s okay, Katara,” Kallik said, walking toward her. “Sokka, quit laughing! You’re making her cry!” Katara rubbed at her face, brushing the cold trails off her cheeks.

“What? Why are you crying?” Sokka asked, stupidly, like he had no idea what kind of trouble he was going to get her into by telling. He furrowed his brow when she told him as much. “Why would you get in trouble?”

“Katara, you’re a waterbender!” Kallik said, a little breathlessly. “You’re the first waterbender the tribe has seen in like—I don’t know, a really long time! It means you’re blessed!”

Katara felt the tightness in her chest ease a bit. “What?” she sniffled.

“I forgot you’re not old enough yet. Gran-gran tells everyone when they turn seven because that’s when she remembers waterbenders starting to show their abilities,” Sokka said.

“Yeah, only prodigies would start bending before then, because water is a really tricky element,” Kallik added. “You have pull it away from itself and the moon and it doesn’t want to go, or something.”

“No you don’t,” she said, frowning. “You pull the water like the moon. It helps.” Kallik raised his eyebrows.

“Katara,” he asked, slowly, “how long has this been a secret?”

Katara flushed and looked down, kicking the snow with her toe.

“Come on,” he said warmly, offering his hand. She walked forward and took it, smiling at her friend. Sokka rolled his eyes and shook his head, still grinning.

“Trust me, Katara,” Sokka said as the trio walked back toward the village, “Mom and Dad will only be happy about this. This makes you extra special.”

Kallik nodded. “Yeah, Katara. It’s really cool. Besides, how could anything bad come from you being a waterbender?”

“You really think so?” Katara asked, letting the boys lead her back to the village.

“Sure do,” Sokka laughed, grabbing her other hand. “This can only mean good things, just you wait.”

Katara felt warmth blossom in her chest as a sense of relief filled her. What she could do had a name, and it made her special. She looked at Kallik, wondering if maybe one day, he would do something extra special, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Writing Notes:
> 
> 1\. I worried about the penguins. Did you worry about the penguins? But everyone is so chill about it, so there must be some kind of relationship here, right? They aren't just abusing animals. So, I give you a made up explanation. ;-)
> 
> 2\. Hey there, Kallik. What you up to, drying furs and warming things up? What's going on, buddy? 
> 
> 3\. I think Katara would feel a little ostracized being the only waterbender in her village, and there is mad emphasis in the show about how she is a prodigy. She became a master at 14. That's nothing to sneeze at. So I've decided that she, like Azula, started young, but because of the way she had seen her friend treated, she thought she should keep her abilities secret. Sokka and Kallik are older, and able to help set her straight. 
> 
> Hope you liked it! Please let me know what you thought with the comments, and leave a kudos if you were entertained. I'm [@hanuko on Tumblr.](https://hanuko.tumblr.com/) Feel free to come by and say hi!


	7. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Suddenly, shouts filled the air. The clattering had stopped and new footsteps resonated in the hut. After he heard a soft thud, Kallik bit his lip, breathing as quietly as possible. Something bad was happening._
> 
> _“Stay where you are.” A man was speaking, and Kallik couldn't recognize his voice._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The comments have blown me away! Every one of you is so wonderful and amazing. Thank you for your kind words and encouragement. I'm not gonna lie, it helped motivate me to get this one out quicker. :-)
> 
> Take heed, this chapter is darker than the others. It is sad, and potentially triggering. I added a couple of tags, and will have an additional summary in the end notes for those of you who may find those tags distressing. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

The children of the tribe all played a lot of games together. They went penguin sledding when it was warmer. Kneel-jump or knuckle-hop were fun to play anytime. There was usually time for tag between chores, and there was never a shortage of snow for a snowball fight. Kallik’s favorite was hide-and-seek.

  
 _They'll never find me here,_ Kallik thought with a giggle as he wedged himself between the stove and wall. He never had a problem near fires or hot things, but Sokka and Katara did, so they wouldn't even think to look near the stove.

  
Kallik heard footsteps and he pressed his hands to his mouth to muffle himself, remembering a lesson his dad taught him when they went fishing.

  
 _“When you make noise, you give yourself away,” his dad said in a low voice after they each cast their lines. “For fishing, that means we scare the fish and come home hungry. But if you're hunting tiger-seal, they know where you are, and will attack you for coming too close. Silence is your friend, Kallik. It will help you more than anything else.”_  
  
  
Kallik shrank down, grinning behind his hands. He was the best at hide-and-seek. He tilted his head to unblock his ear and listened. After a few minutes he heard the clatter of something hitting the table.  
  
  
 _No way is Sokka tricking me,_ he thought. That was how his cousin caught Katara. He'd act like someone else, and she would investigate because she was so nosy. She always gave herself away.  
  
  
Suddenly, shouts filled the air. The clattering had stopped and new footsteps resonated in the hut. After he heard a soft thud, Kallik bit his lip, breathing as quietly as possible. Something bad was happening.  
  
  
“Stay where you are.” A man was speaking, and Kallik couldn't recognize his voice. His words sounded odd.  
  
  
“Alright.” That was Auntie Kya. Kallik tensed, ready to bolt out of his hiding spot.  
  
  
“You seem intelligent. Good,” the man paused. “Perhaps you can give me what I need.”  
  
  
“And what's that?” Kallik could hear how much her voice shook. Auntie Kya was scared.  
  
  
“Information.”  
  
  
“Mommy?” Katara must have just come in. Her voice sounded like it was further away, maybe near the door.  
  
  
“Just let her go. I'll give you the information you want,” Auntie Kya said.  
  
  
“You heard your mother,” the greasy voice said. “Get out of here!”  
  
  
“Mom, I'm scared.” Katara sounded like she was going to cry.  
  
  
“Go find your dad, sweetie,” Auntie Kya said. “I'll handle this.”  
  
  
Kallik strained his ears, but he couldn't hear anything else. He hoped Katara would bring Chief Hakoda soon.  
  
  
“Now tell me who is it? Who's the waterbender?”  
  
  
“There are no waterbenders here!” Auntie Kya was lying. Kallik wondered what this stranger wanted with Katara. “The Fire Nation took them all away a long time ago!”  
  
  
“You're lying. My source says there's one waterbender left in the southern water tribe. We're not leaving until we find the waterbender.”  
  
  
Kallik bit his lip. Everyone always told Katara to keep her bending secret. “If I tell you, do you promise to leave the rest of the village alone?”  
  
  
The man grunted in agreement. Kallik trembled. Auntie Kya wouldn’t tell him. She always protected Katara.  
  
  
“It's me. Take me as your prisoner.” Kallik felt his mouth drop open. What this man wanted to do was wrong. Auntie Kya belonged here, with her family!  
  
  
“No!” the boy shouted, jumping out from behind the stove. He was terrified. His hands and face felt hot. He made fists in front of himself, darting between Auntie Kya and this tall stranger in red and black metal armor.  
  
  
“Kallik!” Auntie Kya cried, kneeling up higher and trying to pull him behind her. He stood his ground.  
  
  
“You leave Auntie Kya alone!” Kallik shouted, glaring fiercely at the man in front of him. Sokka always told him his glare could scare a wild polar bear-dog.  
  
  
The man's face twisted up like he just ate some rancid seal jerky. “What's a nasty little half-breed like you doing here?” he asked in that same slimy voice. “Not that it matters. I'll end you right now!”  
  
  
The man drew his fist back and Kallik could barely hear Auntie Kya scream over the rushing noise in his ears. Kallik pushed both fists forward, guided by some kind of instinct inside of him. The heat from his hands burst out in red and orange flames, surprising everyone in the small space.  
  
  
The man dispelled the flames, gaping at Kallik as he did so. “What?”  
  
  
“You stay back!” Kallik shouted, feeling the same tingling heat in his hands sparking toward the surface of his skin. The man snarled and a jet of fire shot from his hand. That same instinct whispered what to do, and Kallik clapped his hands together, making the flame split apart and fade out in the air around him and his aunt.  
  
  
Another man in red armor ran into the hut, looking between Kallik and his adversary. “Sir?”  
  
  
“Lieutenant!” the man barked, “help me. That little monster is attacking me!”  
  
  
“Sir,” the newcomer said, confused, “that's a child.”  
  
  
“It's a half-breed and it attacked me,” the first man snarled. Kallik was shaking, he was so scared.  
  
  
“Kya!” Chief Hakoda had run in, followed closely by Katara. His machete was out. The new man dodged out of the way and the chief struck his leader on the head. Kallik stared, eyes wide, watching the man fall to the ground. He swallowed, staring at the spot where his head had caved in. His eyes were still open.  
  
  
Katara screamed and moved toward Auntie Kya, but Chief Hakoda held her back, warily eyeing the raider suspiciously.  
  
  
The armored man held up his hands in surrender.  
  
  
“I don't want to fight,” he said, carefully. Kallik saw his uncle's shoulders tense. “My father is a fire sage. I understand how blessed the benders are.”  
  
  
Chief Hakoda scoffed. “And you serve with the Fire Lord’s raiders?”  
  
  
The man shook his head. “I don't want to serve with the Raiders. I never did! Please, believe me. I didn't—until we got to the Earth Kingdom, I didn't know. I didn't know what they did to the other benders.”  
  
  
Kallik slowly lowered his arms, stepping backwards toward Auntie Kya. He heard her gasp and turned around to see her scooting away from him. She stared at him with wide eyes, like she was frightened of him.  
  
  
He looked back at the soldier who was studying him. His eyes glanced between Zuko's bare, reddened hands and his face.  
  
  
Chief Hakoda kept his knife high in the air. “Why are you looking at my nephew like that?” he growled. Kallik straightened his spine at the tone. The soldier looked at the chief, frowning.  
  
  
“It's just... sometimes you have no sun. For months, I've heard.”  
  
  
Chief Hakoda tilted his head.  
  
  
“I've never known a firebender to survive for very long, away from Agni's eye.”  
  
  
“Who says he's a firebender?” his uncle asked, tone cold.  
  
  
The man looked at the scorch marks on the floor on either side of Kallik, then back at the chief.  
  
  
“My mistake,” he mumbled.  
  
  
Chief Hakoda stared at the black marks on the floor as well, before his eyes moved to his nephew. Kallik tried to make himself small. He didn't like how his uncle was looking at him. It made him nervous. He looked at him like he was dangerous.  
  
He looked back at the soldier. “And what do you propose I do with you?”  
  
  
“You let me go. I bring Yon Rha back with me, and I tell the others he killed the waterbender at the cost of his own life,” the soldier responded.  
  
  
The chief looked thoughtful before giving a slow nod of his head, holding his blade in front of him. The soldier moved quickly, picking up the body and slinging him over his shoulder. With one last glance back at Kallik, he darted out of the hut.  
  
  
“Mom!” Katara shouted, running past Kallik and into Auntie Kya's arms. Auntie Kya held her close, but she was still staring at Kallik in fear.  
  
  
“Auntie Kya?” he asked, frowning. The hut smelled really smokey. Tears fell from her eyes.  
  
  
Kallik felt his own get wet. He looked back at Chief Hakoda, who now moved further inside to stand with his wife and daughter. He was frowning at Kallik. The boy twisted his hands together.  
  
  
“I... I'm sorry, Auntie!” he exclaimed, feeling his throat get tight. He shook himself. He wasn't a baby. He wouldn't cry. “Please don't be mad.”  
  
  
Auntie Kya blinked and shook her head, rocking Katara back and forth. Kallik took a step back towards the door. He had done something _bad._ Kallik spun around and took off through the open door.  
  
  
“Kallik!” Chief Hakoda shouted. Kallik didn't slow down. He knew he was different from everyone, but this was too much. He was from the Water Tribe. He shouldn't be able to bend _fire._ He ran fast and hard to his own hut. He was scared and put together wrong and he just wanted his mom to tell him everything would be okay.  
  
  
Kallik burst through the door. “Mom!”  
  
  
He stopped dead in his tracks. His mom was lying on the floor of their hut, eyes open and unseeing. In her hand was one of his dad's knives. She was very still, and Kallik saw a large pool of blood had formed around her.  
  
  
“Mom?” he whispered, stepping closer and closer until he could kneel beside her. He gently touched her cheek.  
  
  
She was very cold.  
  
  
Kallik shuddered and stood up, gagging. He couldn't—his mom was….  
  
  
He ran out of the hut and away from the village as fast as his legs could carry him.  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
Bato trembled, holding a cup of warm broth in his hands. Hakoda wrapped an arm around him as they sat together in the Chief's home. Kya held both her children close to her, glancing up at him apologetically.  
  
  
“He just ran out?” Bato asked with a shaky voice. Hakoda grimaced.  
  
  
“It was my fault,” Kya said, sadly. “He surprised me. I didn't expect him to be able to bend fire.”  
  
  
“Is Kallik in trouble?” Sokka asked.  
  
  
“Of course not,” Hakoda responded. “He didn't do anything wrong.”  
  
  
“Were you mad at him?” the boy continued, furrowing his eyebrows.  
  
  
“No, honey,” Kya replied. “He scared me. He didn't mean to, though. I think he scared himself, too.”  
  
  
“That's probably why he ran away, then,” Sokka said, nodding to himself. “When Kallik is really, really scared, he hides. He's good at hiding.”  
  
  
Bato thought of the little, red footprints he saw leading away from his home. The tracks faded out once they reached the edge of the village, lost amongst mess left behind from the fight.  
  
  
He tried not to think of Kyra's lifeless body on the floor.  
  
  
Bato shuddered, feeling his eyes sting. A low whine came out of his throat, causing Hakoda to tighten his grip. Bato glanced out the window and watched the sun start to dip. It would be dark soon, and the temperature would drop. Kallik couldn't stay out there.  
  
  
Bato stood up, shaking Hakoda's arm off. “I have to find him,” he said, hoarsely. “The sun will set soon, and he ran off without supplies. He'll get too cold.”  
  
  
“Bato, please wait. Listen to me—”  
  
  
"Hakoda, I can't lose my son!" Bato shouted. "Tui and La, I can't! I have to find him."  
  
  
“Bato—”  
  
  
“Dad, Kallik is really good at hide and seek,” Sokka said, kicking the floor. “He listens and the second he hears a noise he gets super quiet. He'll come out if he hears his dad calling.”  
  
  
Hakoda sighed. Bato set his cup down. “You can't stop me, Hakoda,” he said in a firm voice. “I'm going out there.”  
  
  
Hakoda huffed and also stood. “I know. I’ve been trying ask you the best place to start.”  
  
  
Bato sighed in relief. “You'll help me?”  
  
  
“Of course. That's what family does,” Hakoda replied. “Sokka, you're going to tell me all the places Kallik hides around the village.”  
  
  
“I'll check our hunting and fishing spots,” Bato replied. “They aren't very far.”

  
“Dad,” Katara said, hesitantly, “I don’t think you should look for Kallik. He thinks you’re mad at him. Even if Bato calls for him, if he sees you, he might be too scared to come out.”

  
Bato frowned, eyes narrowing at his friend. Hakoda shrugged helplessly.

  
“I didn’t say anything, Bato,” he said, “but I’m sure he could see on my face how alarmed I was. He bent fire, and—well, Mother always said benders develop their skills around seven. He’s nine, now. I wasn’t expecting it.”

  
“Hakoda,” Bato said, frustrated.

  
“It’s not an excuse. When you find him and bring him back, I’ll apologize and remind him he will always be a part of this tribe.”  
  
  
“Chief!” Young Kato—and Bato needed to stop thinking of him as young, seeing as he was a man, now—ran into the hut. “We found him, but he won't listen to us,” he grimaced. “He's at the beach. He managed to climb up the cliff face. We can't get to him.”  
  
  
Bato didn't need to be told twice. “I’ll get him,” he said.

  
“Bato, I can try to help.”

  
“No,” Bato said, shaking his head. “I think your daughter is right. I’ll bring him back here and you can speak to him then.” Hakoda nodded his assent, and Bato ran out the door down the path toward the beach. Once he got there, he saw four men gathered below the cliff, trying to find a safe way up.  
  
  
“How did he get up there?” One man asked, scratching his head. Bato already knew. Kallik scared the devil out of him and Kyra, scurrying up the cliff face like a snow-leopard, completely unafraid of the height. Kyra insisted they tie a rope ladder up there in case he got stuck.  
  
  
Bato stared up to see the back of a thick, blue parka on top of the cliffs.  
  
  
“Kallik!” he shouted. He waved the other men off. “Go tell Hakoda I've got him,” he said. The others reluctantly left, heading back to the village. Bato stared up to see his son looking back down at him. His face was blank.  
  
  
“Son,” Bato shouted. “Lower the ladder, please. Let me talk to you.” Kallik moved out of view. Bato held his breath, then sighed in relief when a rope ladder unfurled in front of him. He climbed up quickly. As soon as he was on the cliff, he stumbled toward Kallik who was sitting on a rock, his arms wrapped tightly around himself.  
  
  
“I didn't mean it,” he said wetly as Bato knelt in front of him. His eyes were red and wet, and he sniffled, wiping at his messy nose. “I _promise,_ Dad, I didn't mean it. I didn't even know I could do that. I didn't want him to hurt Auntie, but I scared her and—”  
  
  
“Hush,” Bato whispered, opening his arms. Kallik let out a loud sob and fell against Bato’s chest, pressing his tear-stained face against his neck. “You were very brave.”  
  
  
“They're scared of me, Dad,” Kallik stuttered, holding onto Bato as tightly as his little arms could. “I did something bad. I—I made fire, like the men who attacked us—”  
  
  
“You are _not_ like them, Kallik,” Bato said in a firm, but gentle voice.  
  
  
“Mom is dead,” Kallik wailed on, shaking now. “I went home, and she was on the floor—”  
  
  
Bato shushed him, rubbing his hand up and down Kallik's spine. The boy sobbed, his voice muffled by Bato's thick coat. Bato let himself out. When Kallik was only sniffling, Bato pulled away. His son's lower lip was trembling. Bato eyed the skyline. The sun was finally dipping below the hills that surrounded them.  
  
  
“Come on,” he said, standing up and holding out his hand. Kallik took it and let Bato lead him to the ladder. Bato climbed down and Kallik followed, and together they walked back to the village.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **TRIGGER WARNING**  
>  Character Death: Yon Rha dies at the south pole. Kyra dies.  
> Mild descriptions of dead bodies and blood. 
> 
> Fun Writing Notes:
> 
> 1\. So Knuckle-hop and kneel-jump are real games. They are very physically taxing, but also entertaining. I suggest checking them out. 
> 
> 2\. I always had it in my head that Zuko/Kallik would save Kya. I don't know why, but when this idea came to me, I thought that we could save Kya. I also planned on Kyra dying during this raid from the beginning. I'm sorry. I loved her, too. Sometimes life is cruel and unforgiving. It has been especially so to Zuko. 
> 
> 3\. Adults make mistakes, y'all. Don't be mad at Kya and Hakoda. They were taken by surprise just as their village was being raided by firebenders. They aren't rational at this point. Forgive them for being human. 
> 
> Hope you liked it! Please leave a kudos if you were entertained, and a comment to let me know your thoughts! Also, come say hi to me on [Tumblr!](https://hanuko.tumblr.com/)


	8. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“What’s going on?” he asked, quietly. “You—you and Chief Hakoda, and the other men have been having meetings.”_
> 
> _“Sneaking around and spying again?” Bato asked with a chuckle. Kallik shrugged but gave him a small smile._
> 
> _“Something like that.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure when the last time was I churned out chapters this quickly. I mean, I'm having so much fun with it, but your support has been really motivating! So thanks all of you lovely humans. I really appreciate it. 
> 
> For this chapter:
> 
> Teenage boys, man. I don't know. It's a struggle. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

_**-Five Years Later-** _

Kallik was ready. He had been waiting for this day since that snot, Panuk, had earned his mark, shoving him and telling him an ashmaker like him would never earn the right to take this test, let alone pass it. Years of bullying and abuse from the Neanderthal had strengthened his resolve. The attack of the raiders was a long time ago, but no matter what Kallik did, there were still others in his village who refused to trust him. None of them thought he belonged.

He’d show them.

Bato smiled at the small group of boys (and one girl), leading them to the boat. Together they pushed if off the shore, into shallow water before they climbed aboard. Hakoda smiled at the group and waved as the waves carried them away.

“Kallik, you’re the leader,” Bato said, seriously. “You’ll steer and call the shots. Lead wisely.” Kallik nodded and took his place by the tiller.

“Toklo, Pilip, you secure the mainsail. The winds are vicious, so be brave.” Two of the boys stood by the ropes below the sails, each grabbing a different one, ready to work together to move with the wind.

“Silla, you’ll watch the jib. Kallik has to trust you to have as steady hand. Don’t let his faith be unwarranted.” The third boy nodded, hopping to his place on the boat.

“Koro,” Bato called the only girl—and the only person from their village. The girl straightened up, expression serious. “You’re scouting. You stand at the bow with me and watch the flow of the water and the ice. You’re the only one who will be able to see the paths that form, and how the bergs will come together. Kallik needs to trust you as well, in order to navigate his crew to safety. Koro nodded and took her place beside Bato. The boat moved swiftly away from the chief, into the rapid waters that was churning in the ice ahead.

Bato settled at the bow of the ship, staring right Kallik. Kallik took a steadying breath, glad that his dad was there for him, even if he couldn’t help.

“This is an ancient test of wisdom, bravery, and trust. I can’t offer any advice. You’re pass or fail on your own. Good luck.” He winked at Kallik, making the teen smile. The boat picked up speed, and Kallik noticed the sails flapping too much.

“Silla, tighten up on the jib,” Kallik called. Silla pulled the rope, tightening the sail a little and making the boat go faster. Kallik smirked. He would be able to steer a little more sharply now. The first bergs were coming up on them. “Toklo, Pilip—steady,” the teen said, furrowing his eyebrows. They looked like they wanted to tighten the sail further because of the gusts, but he wanted the burst of speed, first. He pushed the tiller, pulling the boat on a course that went between the two bergs. A large wave splashed him, making him shiver, but he shook the cold off. He couldn’t afford to be distracted. The fire inside warmed him quickly. “Koro?”

“Three bergs on the port side, but there’s some movement starboard,” Koro replied. “It’s gonna be a tight squeeze, Kallik.”

Kallik saw the telltales lift and twirl. “Silla, jib to lee!”

Silla grunted, pulling on the rope to move the sail up. “Got it, Kallik!” Kallik pulled the tiller hard, just as they were passing the new icebergs. The boat didn’t rock or bump, so he had missed the unseen ice below. “Good work!” Kallik called. His crew smiled at him. They started to lose speed, and Pilip eased up on the mainsail without Kallik having to say anything. Kallik was grateful for him and Toklo. The pair had always been fun to fish with, and taught him about sailing whenever he and his dad would visit their village. He knew right away that he wanted them with him his first time Ice Dodging.

“Iceberg ahead! Starboard side, Kallik!” Koro called. Kallik pressed the tiller again, letting their speed carry them away from the small chunk of ice barely breaking the water’s surface. Kallik guided them through the field of ice, decisions made from Koro’s information. The four in front of him listened to his every direction, trusting him to find the safest path. Finally, the boat had escaped the ice. Kallik guided them back to the beach through calmer waterways, excited to see the tribe ready to greet them. He could see Kya standing behind Hakoda with Sokka and Katara. Behind them was the rest of the village. Kallik smugly wondered how much Panuk would be scowling when he found out that Kallik had gotten through his trial without even a scratch.

The boy’s arms ached. His whole upper body protested. He had never steered his grandfather’s boat for so long, before. Kallik steered the boat towards the coast, allowing the tide to carry it the rest of the way to the sand. Once they reached the shallows, they all hopped out and shoved the boat the rest of the way to shore.

Bato hopped out of the boat as well, grinning at them and ruffling his son’s hair. Kallik smiled, elated by their success.

“Well done!” Bato cried. “You all performed admirably. Kallik, you proved to be a wise leader who trusted your crew to their tasks, while steering them out of danger. Pilip, Toklo, you faced down the winds with all the same fearlessness as hawks. Silla, your hand was steadier than any other young man’s I have seen, and I have been Ice Dodging many, many times. And Koro, your sharp eye and wit saved this crew more times than I could count!”

Hakoda smiled at them all, holding a small, clay bowl in his hands. “Men, and—um—lady,” he said, nodding to Koro. Kallik pressed his lips together as the girl visibly refrained from rolling her eyes. “Step forward.”

All five teenagers lined up and bowed their heads. Hakoda came to Kallik first, touching his chin and causing the boy to lift his face. Kallik stared at his uncle, warmed by the pride he saw in the man’s eyes. “The Spirits of water bear witness to these marks,” Hakoda called, causing the chatter of the villagers to die out. “For Kallik, the Mark of the Wise.” Hakoda brushed his thumb over Kallik’s brow. “Your quick wit and decisiveness led your crew to safety.”

Hakoda went down the line, giving Pilip and Toklo the Mark of the Brave, and Silla and Koro the Mark of the Trusted. When he was finished, he raised Kallik’s hand in the air, proving his support of their success. The villagers cheered and gathered around them, clapping and talking about a celebratory feast. Kallik managed to pull out of the crowd, grateful that the other boys were much more interested in preening and showing off. He only felt a _little_ bad abandoning Koro to the attention. He snuck away to a fire pit and sat down on an empty bench.

“Wow.” Kallik turned and grinned when Sokka sat down next to him, eyes wide. “Wow, Kallik, how was it? Was it scary?”

Kallik shrugged and ruffled his cousin’s hair, making the younger boy squawk and adjust his wolf-tail. Kallik pushed a few strands that came loose from his plait, tucking them behind his ear.

He looked over his shoulder before answering, making sure no one was listening to them. “Yeah,” he said, quietly. “I have such bad luck, I was worried something terrible would happen.”

Sokka nodded solemnly. It wasn’t like he hadn’t heard it before. People said Kallik had the worst luck out of everyone in the entire village. Actually, he had the worst luck out of everyone in the entire South Pole, it seemed. Everyone said he used it all up to survive his first winter.

“How much ice was there? How fast did you go? You got to steer, right?” Kallik laughed at the younger boy’s excitement and answered all his questions until a shadow fell over the two of them.

“So, how’d you cheat, ashmaker?” Kallik sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose before standing up and turning around. Panuk was standing behind him, scowling. Kallik eyed the larger boy warily. Ever since the raid, Panuk had done everything he could to make Kallik miserable. He’d call him nasty names, push him down, and steal his things, sometimes. He even started rumors that if Kallik went near a fire, it would go out of control.

Which was the stupidest thing to say. The first thing Kallik taught himself was how to smother flames, once he realized he could. He never wanted to scare anyone like he scared Aunt Kya again. Kallik raised an eyebrow and levelled a cold stare at Panuk as Sokka stood up behind him. Kallik didn’t need to look at his friend to know he was ready for a fight.

“What, Panuk, jealous that my time was better?”

“Yeah, right. I bet if I went with my dad, I would have had better time too,” Panuk sneered.

“You calling Kallik’s dad a liar?” Sokka shouted. “How can you say that when we all go our first time with our family? You went with your uncle, your first time!”

“It doesn’t matter,” Panuk growled, jabbing a finger at Kallik’s chest. “It’s because of ashmakers like you that I had to go with my uncle in the first place!” Panuk glanced between the two of them and scoffed in disgust before walking away. Kallik stared at his retreating form, his elation from his success slowly dwindling away.

“Kallik,” Sokka said, gripping his arm. Kallik shrugged him off.

“I’ve got to walk, or something,” he said, walking away. “I’ve gotta—I’ll be back in time for the feast.”

“Okay,” Sokka said hesitantly. Kallik didn’t think he could stand to look at the sad expression that always came over Sokka’s face when anyone brought up the day of the raid, and the day Kallik’s mom died. He didn’t look back.

* * *

Bato laughed as they passed food around, watching Kallik and his crew nudging each other and selecting things from different dishes. His son wasn’t as enthusiastic as Bato expected him to be, but at least he was participating. Kallik left shortly after the trial was over, but he made sure to get back with enough time for Kya to fix his hair again. It touched his shoulders, now. For the occasion, Kya braided four blue beads into his white streak before weaving it into the rest of his hair. Bato felt so much pride at how grown up he was, now. He could forget for a minute that he had the broodiest child of the Water Tribes.

“They did well,” Hakoda said, settling back down next to him. “You must be proud.”

“Yes,” Bato said, smiling. “I wish he were a little happier about it, though,” he sighed.

“Bato,” Hakoda said, raising an eyebrow.

“I know,” Bato said, shaking his head. “Your mother would say to let him have his feelings or some wise nonsense like that. He just—earlier today was the first time in a while that I’ve seen him so excited about something. He looked like he was on top of the world and nothing could knock him down.” He poked at his food. “I was hoping we could both enjoy that a little longer, before I leave.”

Hakoda clasped a hand on Bato’s shoulder, making the man look over at him. “Bato, if you feel you need to, you can stay and look after your child.”

Bato shook his head. “No, he’s—he’s practically a man, now. He can provide for the tribe, knows how to ice dodge, and he can use any weapon we have well enough to defend the women and children. He’s old enough, and you need me.”

“I can get by without you,” Hakoda said gently.

“Oh really? And who will get the men to listen to your crazy ideas?” Bato asked with a raised eyebrow.

“They aren’t crazy!” Hakoda said, affronted.

“You want to make bombs that work underwater,” Bato said, flatly.

“It can work!” Hakoda said, hotly. “Especially if they just break open instead of explode. I’m telling you Bato, we fill those things with kelp and—”

“I never said they couldn’t work,” Bato interjected. “I said the men will need convincing. And we all need to do our part to win this war.”

“What’s my part?” Bato turned to see Sokka settling beside Hakoda. He raised his chin proudly. “To win the war?”

Hakoda regarded Sokka very seriously. “To provide for the tribe, and to take care of your mother and sister.”

“And to make sure the others don’t give Kallik such a hard time,” Bato added. “They listen to you, you know.”

Sokka looked suspiciously at them before Kya came by and distracted him with stewed sea prunes.

When they got back to their hut, Kallik stoked the fire with a puff of air before he drew the blind over the window. Bato knew the midnight sun wreaked havoc on his senses. As he started to straighten up his blankets for the night, Bato sighed and sat on the floor at the edge of the pallet, stopping him. Kallik frowned and sat next to him, picking at a loose thread in his tunic.

“What’s going on?” he asked, quietly. “You—you and Chief Hakoda, and the other men have been having meetings.”

“Sneaking around and spying again?” Bato asked with a chuckle. Kallik shrugged but gave him a small smile.

“Something like that.”

Bato sighed and wrapped an arm around Kallik’s shoulders. “Son, you know how devastating the war is. The last time we traded with Kyoshi Island, the news we got was—well, it wasn’t good.”

“I know,” Kallik said, seriously. “Sokka and I heard you and Chief Hakoda talking about it.”

“You were eavesdropping?” Bato asked with a raised brow.

Kallik had the nerve to roll his eyes. “You were talking on the dock, out in the open. It wasn’t like you were being private.”

Bato shook his son a bit and ruffled his hair, making the teenager wiggle away from him. After the teenager got a chance to fix his braid and settle back down, Bato folded his hands together in his lap.

“We have to help. We’re going to set sail tomorrow and offer our services to the Earth Kingdom. Hopefully, it will be enough to turn the tide in this war.”

Kallik leaned away from him. His white, beaded braid had come loose from the rest of his plait and swung wildly with the movement. His gold eyes were wide and panicked as they took in Bato’s expression.

“Dad—”

“I have to go, Kallik. I have to help Hakoda.”

“You can’t!” Kallik said, standing up and throwing his hands down. The fire in the lantern flared slightly. “Dad, you can’t just leave me here alone—”

“You won’t be alone,” Bato said. “Kya will be here to look after you.”

“No, Dad, please—please don’t go.” Kallik’s eyes were watering and his lower lip trembled. Bato’s heart broke at the sight of his son, begging him to stay.

“Son, this is something I have to do. We all have to go. Our strength is in teamwork. The Fire Nation doesn’t know how to fight us, and if we don’t do something, it’s only a matter of time before they colonize the poles, too.” Bato stood as well and held out his hands, beseeching. “You’re practically a man, now—”

“Then let me come with you!” Kallik huffed. Bato shook his head, denying the request.

“You need to be here, to protect the tribe—”

“You can’t leave me behind, Dad, you can’t! If I’m a man now, then I can go with you!”

“Kallik!” Bato said, sternly. Kallik pressed his lips together. His hands were clenched into fists at his side. “Kallik,” he repeated, gently, “You and a handful of others are the only ones old enough to hunt and gather for the tribe while we’re gone, or to look after the children when their mothers have the duty. You are needed _here._ Do you understand me?”

Kallik stared at the floor for a long moment before he nodded once. Bato placed his hands on Kallik’s shoulders, and Kallik threw himself at him, wrapping his arms tightly around his torso. Bato wrapped his own arms around his son, pressing his face against the boy’s hair. Kallik’s shoulders were shaking.

“Shh,” Bato whispered, rocking slightly. He felt Kallik hiccup and press his face tighter to his chest. When had he gotten so tall? Bato swallowed against the lump in his throat. “Shh, Kallik, it’s alright.”

“You could get hurt,” Kallik mumbled into his shirt. “You could die.”

Bato rubbed a soothing circle into his son’s back. He wouldn’t lie. Kallik never appreciated it, and Bato wouldn’t make a promise to him that he couldn’t keep. “I’ll try my hardest to stay alive.”

“I’ll miss you, Dad,” Kallik said. “I love you. I don’t want you to go.”

“I know, Kallik,” Bato said, pulling away and looking at his son’s tearstained face. “I love you too, but when you miss me too hard, you just remember I’m right here,” he pressed a palm over Kallik’s heart. “I’ll always be right here.”

* * *

Bato stood at the side of Hakoda’s boat, staring at the beach. His own was just behind them, being steered by Kato. Hakoda was beside him, raising a hand and waving at his family. The tribe had all gathered to see them off, solemn at their departure. Bato gazed at his son’s face until he was too far away to pick out in the rest of the crowd, then stared at the crowd until they dipped below the horizon.

“Are we doing the right thing, leaving them behind?” Bato asked. Hakoda sighed.

“I hope so.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Writing Notes:
> 
> 1\. I know squat about sailing. I googled some about how boats work. From what I understand, the sail needs to be tight enough to flap (so it can hold the wind) but not too tight, or the wind can’t push out the sail to make the boat move? And… nautical terms are hard? So. Um. For you sailors out there, thank you for bearing through this. 
> 
> 2\. I added some people. I don't know, it seems like with icebergs, and with how the ice flows and moves, you want a lookout, to make sure you're on an okay path. Like, sure you could do without, but they _move._ Remember the ice that broke apart and came together that broke Sokka's canoe? So I have a few extra people to make it easier. I think Bato made due with what he had when Sokka and Katara met up with him. ;-) 
> 
> 3\. So, time jump. I didn't think any depictions of Zuko/Kallik being bullied would have served much of a purpose for more setup for the rest of this story. Not here, at least. 
> 
> 4\. I can't give that boy a break.
> 
> Thanks for reading! Please leave a kudos if you were entertained, and a comment to let me know your thoughts! Also, I'm [@hanuko](https://hanuko.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr, so feel free to come by and say hi!


	9. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“It’s waterbending, Sokka! You know that, you and Kallik were the ones who even_ told _me about it—”_
> 
> _“—and she freaked out and broke our boat—”_
> 
> _“I didn’t break the boat!_ You _broke the boat before I did anything by steering it the wrong way—”_
> 
> _Kallik blinked, stupidly, trying to make sense of what the siblings were saying._
> 
> _“You broke a boat?”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So.
> 
> This WIP possessed me for a hot minute, there. Lot of updates in a short period of time. 
> 
> After this, it will probably be a few days, maybe a week. Work, you know. Plus, I have some other projects I need to get started on. 
> 
> From here on out, we are now following the show! Woohoo! 
> 
> Hope you enjoy. :-)

Kallik tied the carcass of the puffin-seal to his sled, patting Narok’s head, which came up to Kallik’s chest. When Kato left with the rest of the men two years ago, he put Narok in Kallik’s care. The two became inseparable. The polar dog panted, shaking his head happily and covering the teen in his slobber.

“Ugh,” Kallik grunted, wiping specks of drool off his face.

“That is so gross,” Koro said, smirking.

“Haha,” Kallik replied, taking his place next to the pet as Koro stood behind the sled. “Tomorrow, do you want to come with me to get some pine and artic dogwood? Kanna said that some of the boats need repairing, and Aunt Kya said we’re almost out of dye for the furs.” Narok barked and he scratched his chin. Koro was unusually quiet behind him.

“I know it’ll take a couple of days, but I could use the help, and Sokka is useless when it comes to that stuff. I swear, if his mom did it one time, it’s _women’s work_ ,” he continued, chuckling.

“I can’t.” Koro delivered her reply in a flat voice. Kallik paused and turned around. Her light blue eyes were downcast. She twisted one of her soft brown braids between her fingers nervously.

“Oh,” Kallik said, dumbly. His eyebrows shot up when he heard her sniffle and saw her dash at her face. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s stupid,” she said, shaking her head. “It’s so stupid.” She was scowling, now, and gripping the handle of the sled tightly.

“What is?”

Koro hesitated before reaching up and pulling down her parka, revealing a blue, carved stone tied to her neck with a leather choker.

_Oh._

“Oh,” Kallik said, scratching the back of his head. “Congratulations?”

“Don’t patronize me,” Koro huffed, hopping off the sled. She crossed her arms over her chest.

“I’m not!” Kallik exclaimed. Narok barked in concern. Kallik rolled his eyes and patted the animal again, wishing, not for the first time, that Kato had babied him a little less when he trained him.

“You know I’m not happy about this!” Kallik and Narok both cringed at her shrill tone. Koro had always been very vocal about what she thought when it came to marriage, especially an arranged one. Her father was elderly, though, and very traditional. He often said he indulged his youngest daughter too much.

“Um,” Kallik mumbled, searching for an appropriate question. “Who is it?”

Koro kicked up some snow. “Toklo,” she murmured.

“Oh!” Kallik grinned. “That’s not so terrible, right? I mean, you know him, and he’s a nice guy.”

“I guess.”

“So, uh, it’s unseemly for you to go anywhere alone with me now, huh?”

Koro smiled a little. Kallik counted it as a win. “They do things a little differently in his village,” she said, still scuffing her boot along the ground. “Toklo’s family doesn’t believe we’re just friends, because of all the time we spend together.”

Kallik laughed, shaking his head. He and Koro talked about everything, including what it might be like to be in love. They even kissed once, a long time ago, but it was one of the most awkward things either of them experienced. They didn’t have the spark Kya described when it came to love.

Koro was one of his best friends, though, and he wanted her to be happy. “Toklo’s not going to be an idiot about you, right?” he asked, brow furrowed. “He knows you’re one of the best hunters around, and everything. He wouldn’t try to like, make you a kept woman or anything, would he?”

Koro threw her head back, laughing so loudly that Narok jumped in surprise.

“Spirits, Kallik, could you imagine?” she asked, dabbing her face again. “No. I talked to Toklo before I accepted his necklace. He knows better. It’s even going to be a long engagement.”

Kallik sighed in relief. Toklo was the same age as them. They weren’t even old enough to go to war. Some elders wanted people to marry quickly, though, so they could have more babies. Chief Hakoda and Kanna never did, but who knew what Toklo’s village was like.

“It’s good for my family,” Koro added a little bitterly. She moved to stand next to Kallik and spoke in a low, shamed voice. “The village, too. We’ve been struggling so much since most of the men left. Toklo and I can take care of each other, and I’ll be going to his village, soon. It’ll be less of a burden to figure out how to feed and house me.”

Kallik winced at the truth in her words. Their village had the most volunteers for the war. In the last two years they went from thriving to barely scraping by. Their huts were badly damaged from weather, and there weren’t enough people to gather all the supplies they needed to repair them. Most of the village were in tents, now. The mothers were too busy caring for their own children to spare too many hands. The only ones who could do anything were him, Panuk, Koro, Sokka, and Katara, since they were the oldest. It was too hard, sometimes, and the bad days made Kallik miss his dad even more than usual.

“Want to guide Narok for a while?” Kallik asked, patting the polar dog on the shoulder. He whined as Kallik stepped away.

“And have him drool on me? No thanks,” Koro replied, shuddering. Kallik smirked at her and scratched Narok just behind his ear, causing him to stick out his tongue and shake his head, vigorously. Gobs of slobber covered them both.

“Ew!” Koro shrieked, trying to hide her smile as she rubbed the mess off her face.

_Worth it,_ Kallik thought, as he wiped the drool from his furs.

* * *

Narok started barking like mad and took off toward the coast, pulling Kallik’s attention from cleaning the carcass he and Koro hauled back. He groaned, just ready for the day to be _over._ First, Koro said she was engaged. Then, there was that weird light in the sky. Now, Narok was going crazy for no reason. Kallik just wanted a calm, summer day where he could focus on his chores and not have to worry about anything unusual. Was that so much to ask?

He ran after the polar dog, past the tents that had been pulled out while they repaired the huts for winter. Kallik stumbled to a halt, eyes widening fearfully at the sight that greeted him.

A large, furry monster was grumbling as it swam to shore, growling so loudly at Narok that he put his tail between his legs and cowered behind Kallik, whining.

“What do you expect me to do?” Kallik asked the dog in a high voice. Kallik lifted his knife in front of him, still covered with the puffin-seal’s blood, and made himself as big as he could.

“Hey,” he shouted, menacingly. “Go on! Hey! Go!” he shouted, waving his arms and knife, hoping the creature would be scared of something it didn’t recognize. At least, he hoped it didn’t recognize humans. If a think that big was unknown to humans, but it knew what humans were? Well, Kallik was pretty certain that meant it would have eaten any humans to cross its path.

The creature grunted and blew out a huge puff of air, pushing Kallik back into Narok. He sprawled on his back, staring the beast with wide eyes. The teen wished he had his sword, or spear, or _anything_ other than his cleaning knife.

“What’s happening,” he heard Sokka slur. He looked around, but his friend was nowhere in sight. “Kallik!” Kallik looked up.

There, in the saddle— _this thing has a saddle?—_ was Sokka, rubbing his eyes tiredly. The younger boy waved and launched himself over the side, sliding down one of the beasts furry legs. Katara followed, hugging a small bald boy to her as she descended.

“What,” Kallik stuttered, pulling himself to his feet.

“Kallik, Katara was using her stupid water-magic again—”

“It’s waterbending, Sokka! You know that, you and Kallik were the ones who even _told_ me about it—”

“—and she freaked out and broke our boat—”

“I didn’t break the boat! _You_ broke the boat before I did anything by steering it the wrong way—”

“Excuse me, but have you ever tried to steer a canoe in rapids? And oh, you can’t bend us out of the water where chunks of ice are going to destroy our boat, but you can break open a giant iceberg that’s holding a little bald kid?”

Kallik blinked, stupidly, trying to make sense of what the siblings were saying. A very important detail caught his attention.

“You broke a boat?”

Sokka and Katara stopped bickering. They glanced at each other guiltily and looked down at the ground. Kallik pinched the bridge of his nose. _Great,_ he thought. _Now what? Koro can’t even help me gather enough pine to repair the huts, let alone boats. Sokka and Katara have other duties, and there is_ no way _I'm asking Panuk._

“Kallik?” Katara asked, nervously. The older boy tried to reign in his anger. He was the oldest, and they looked up to him. He knew that. Kallik took a careful breath, in through the nose and out through the mouth, and regarded her as steadily as he could. It was an accident, after all.

“Who is this?” he asked, gesturing to the bald kid, who appeared to be unconscious. He wore orange and yellow clothing, and had a blue arrow on his head.

The kid stirred, opening his eyes, blearily. “What’s the matter?” he mumbled, rubbing his eyes. He stumbled into Katara, who prevented him from falling. “Can we go to bed? Summer at the poles is so _weird._ ”

“This is Aang,” Katara said. “Come on, can we get him to a tent? We can explain on the way.” Narok came back up and sniffed the boy before licking the side of his face. The boy giggled and tiredly pushed the dog away.

Kallik looked on, thoughtfully. If Narok trusted him, then Aang probably didn’t pose a danger to the tribe. The dog was an excellent judge of character, if nothing else. Kallik grabbed one of the boy’s arms, helping Katara walk him to the tents. Sokka and Katara snipped at each other the whole way. When they reached the shelters, the boy stumbled into the first tent they passed, which was Kallik’s, and snuggled into the furs on the ground. Kallik sighed.

“What happened?” he asked, tiredly, holding his hand in front of him and concentrating. A small flame burst to life, which he used to light the lantern that hung above. It would give the boy some extra heat.

Sokka led them back to the firepit outside, where Kallik was still cleaning the kill from earlier. He pulled his own knife out of his belt to help. Then, Sokka started telling a wild story that began with Katara dumping water on him, ( _I caught a fish with my bending. Sokka was the one who popped the water with his spear_ ) and ended with a long swim on the back of what was apparently an air bison.

“That fluffy thing snotted on me, Kallik. It was so gross,” Sokka said, shuddering.

“Narok slobbers on you all the time,” Kallik said, smiling a little.

“Trust me. This was so much worse.”

“He’s an airbender, Kallik,” Katara added, softly. “He—I think he was frozen in that ice for a really long time, and he used his bending to survive.”

Kallik stared at her, alarmed. There was no way that kid was an airbender. They had all been wiped out a lifetime ago.

Then again, it wouldn’t be the first time any of them had seen something impossible. Kallik was proof enough.

“I don’t trust him,” Sokka said, frowning. “Maybe Katara’s right. Maybe he’s really an airbender, but Kallik, what if he’s a Fire Nation spy?”

“Well, what do you propose we do?” Kallik asked, seriously. Sokka was going to be the next chief, and almost always made sound decisions, when he was being rational about things. He would trust Sokka’s judgement about the stranger.

Sokka twisted his face as he thought. After a few long minutes of working and listening to the crackling fire, he answered.

“Let’s wait for him to wake up. It would be pretty hard to fake being an airbender, right?”

Kallik nodded in agreement. It seemed like something Chief Hakoda would do. “Whatever you say, Sokka.”

It was a long wait until morning.

* * *

Aang shot up, panting slightly. At some point, he must have gotten too hot, because he had taken his shirt off, which was just weird for the poles. It was always freezing here. The small space was weirdly warm, though. He looked around to see he was in a tent, and Katara was standing at the entrance, grinning.

“Come on,” she said. “Everyone is waiting to meet you!” Aang quickly pulled his shirt over his head just in time. Katara had grabbed his wrist and pulled him out into bright sunshine. The walked past her brother, who was cleaning his boomerang next to the tent, to a large group of children being minded by a teenage boy, some women, and elders. Off to the side stood two other teenagers. One was a girl with pretty, soft brown hair and sky-blue eyes. She leveled a steely glare at him. The boy made Aang do a doubletake as he was dragged by.

His hair was—well it _kind_ of looked normal, for Water Tribe. Most of it was tied back in what looked like a braid, but some short pieces framed his face, one of which was white and beaded. It was the wrong color though. It was so brown it looked black. His skin was unusually pale for the south pole, especially in the polar summer, and his eyes were bright gold.

What the heck was a Fire Nation boy doing in the Water Tribe?

Katara halted in front of a scowling, elderly woman who also wore her hair in loops, like Katara.

“Aang, this is the entire village,” Katara said, sweeping her arm out to encompass everyone. Aang looked on curiously, wondering where all the men were. Perhaps they were hunting something big. Monk Gyatso said the Water Tribes would take their boats and hunt for whale.

“Entire village,” she continued, “Aang.” Aang bowed respectfully, but the women pulled their children closer to them eyeing them wearily. A tall woman with flowing brown hair and the same eyes as Katara was standing behind the elder, clicking her tongue disapprovingly at the villagers behavior.

“Why are they all looking at me like that?” Aang asked, looking at his clothes. “Did Appa sneeze on me?” He was pretty out of it after they started swimming towards the village. He seemed to remember something licking his face.

“They have never seen an airbender. No one has in a hundred years,” the elderly woman said, her face unchanged. Her voice was soft, and Aang wondered if she just had a face like the that elder nun at the Western Air Temple, who looked mean but was the sweetest woman there. “We thought they were extinct, until my grandchildren found you.”

“Extinct?” Aang asked, softly. He glanced around. The boy with gold eyes was studying him closely. It put Aang on edge, but not as much as the elder’s words did.

“Kanna,” the woman behind her said, “be gentle. He's a child. Aang,” she said, smiling, “I’m Kya. Katara and Sokka’s mother.”

Aang bowed. “Nice to meet you.”

“What is this, some kind of weapon?” Aang looked up to see Sokka was now standing next to him, frowning at him. He pulled the staff out of his hands and examined it. “You can’t stab anything with this!” Aang heard a snigger and darted his eyes back at the two teenagers. The girl had her hand over her mouth and the boy was pinching the bridge of his nose. Aang felt a little relieved. They were normal kids like him. They were just nervous about him, like everyone else.

“It’s not for stabbing,” Aang said, twisting a current to pull the staff out of the unsuspecting teen’s hand. “It’s for airbending!” The kids around him gasped and smiled, asking for more magic tricks. Aang laughed.

“Not magic,” he said, pulling the latch to release the wings of his glider. The boy let out an alarmed yell and stepped back, arms up. “Airbending. I use it to control the air currents around my glider and fly!”

“What?” That was a new voice. Aang turned and grinned at the Fire Nation boy, who was looking at him in disbelief.

“Humans can’t fly,” he said. He was trying to look severe, but his eyes were wide and curious, taking in the wings of Aang’s staff. He reminded Aang of the young journeying monks who were treated like grownups, but still played airball with the kids when they came back.

“Check it out!” Aang shouted, pushing a gust of wind beneath his feet. He launched into the air and circled around to the applause and laughter below him. He looked down and grinned hugely at the sight of Katara, eyes sparkling at the sight of him. Her smile lit up her whole face. Aang felt a flutter in his stomach at the sight.

Then, he smashed into something hard and icy. His head got stuck in a huge pile of snow. He pulled himself out and fell to the ground, grinning sheepishly as Katara, Sokka, and the Fire Nation boy ran up to him. Sokka ran right past him to the large column of snow, then grunted when a pile fell on top of him. The boy behind Katara snickered.

“Great,” Sokka said, brushing the snow off his parka, “you’re an airbender, Kallik’s a firebender, Katara’s a waterbender—I’m surrounded by benders! Spirits,” he mumbled, stomping away.

“You’re a waterbender?” Aang asked, excitedly. He wondered what Katara knew about healing.

“Well, sort of,” she stammered, shrugging. “Not yet. I mean, Kallik and I practice together,” she gestured to the boy behind her, “but I’m not very good.”

“It’s hard to figure out firebending and waterbending at the same time,” Kallik added, shrugging. “Opposites.”

“Oh,” Aang said. “So, you didn’t know how to firebend before you came here?”

A flash of hurt went through those bright eyes before he scowled. Aang felt his heart stutter. He must have said the wrong thing.

“I mean—I’m just guessing that—I mean, you look Fire Nation to me, but you do have a Water Tribe name. So are you both?” Aang went on, babbling nervously.

“I am Kallik, of the Southern Water Tribe,” the teenager said, cold as ice, “and I _hate_ the Fire Nation. So quit telling me that’s what I am.” He spun on his heel and stalked off. A polar dog scurried out from between the tents and followed him.

“Uh,” Aang mumbled, scratching the back of his head.

“That’s enough,” the elder said. “Katara, you have chores.” Katara said goodbye, walking off with her mother and grandmother. Aang looked down the path Kallik had gone.

He vanished.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Writing Notes:
> 
> 1\. So I orignally made the Narok a polar bear-dog. Then I realized the only person in canon who has a tamed polar bear-dog is an _Avatar._ I mean... what? Then I looked on the wiki, and polar bear-dogs are a wild animal. So I'm retroactively changing it to polar dog (and am going back to fix this). Narok is about the size of a large wolf, but looks a bit like a cross between a husky and a st. bernard. 
> 
> 1\. I looked up a lot of stuff for natural blue dye. I had conversations about what is a natural way to make paint and if that could be used as dye. I looked up how to make said dye and how much dye will be yielded with tree bark, flowers, and shells. This mattered for exactly one sentence in this chapter. o.o()
> 
> 2\. I’m going to be super up front about this: Kallik and Koro are not in love. There is no spark, here. There will be no pining. This is not a ship. I mean, y’all do whatever you like with headcanon for this fic. Just don’t expect it to become a thing, here. :-)
> 
> 3\. It bothered me that Yue is 16 and engaged. 16 is so young. So, long engagements. ;-)
> 
> 4\. So, in all my years, one thing that I’ve noticed is people are curious about each other (especially when people look/act different from you), and they are dumb. One should not ask a person of color, “what are you?” It’s offensive. Remember [“What kind of Asian are you?”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWynJkN5HbQ) Yeah. This. Please forgive Aang. He’s twelve and doesn’t know better, but I promise he's learning. This is my PSA for the day. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! Please leave a kudos if you were entertained, and a comment to let me know your thoughts. Also, feel free to come visit me on [Tumblr!](https://hanuko.tumblr.com/) I'd love to hear from you!


	10. Chapter Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“Aang, how did you survive in that iceberg?” Kallik asked, watching the boy closely. Aang flushed and wiggled uncomfortably._
> 
> _“I don’t know,” he said, glancing at Kallik. Kallik raised an eyebrow. Sometimes, when the kids were lying, he could catch them out just by staring at them. Aang twisted his hands and frowned, furrowing his eyebrows. “What?”_
> 
> _“Aang,” Kallik said, flatly, “come on.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! With an update! 
> 
> Hope you enjoy it!

Kallik stared up in the sky, alarmed at the bright flare that launched into the air. It looked like it came from that Fire Nation wreck that was frozen in the ice. Narok barked at the noise, and Kallik launched himself to his feet and ran back to the village, machete in one hand and knife in the other. He arrived just as Katara and Aang were approaching the huddle of villagers that were gathered at the entrance of their border wall. Sokka was glaring at them in front of the villagers.

“You signaled the Fire Navy with that flare!” he cried, pointing an accusing finger at the airbender. “You’re leading them straight to us!”

“It was an accident!” Katara said, pleading with her brother. “We went to the Fire Nation ship, and—”

“Katara!” Aunt Kya said, sternly. “You know you aren’t supposed to go anywhere near that ship!”

“Katara,” Koro said, folding her arms over her chest, “why did you let this, this _stranger_ talk you into doing this? We’ve been taught that ship was dangerous all our lives! You’ve endangered the whole village!” Kallik looked over at his friend in alarm. Now wasn’t the time to be placing blame. He put away his weapons, assured there wasn’t a threat nearby.

“Neither of you should have been anywhere near there,” Kanna added, frowning. “I know you haven’t forgotten the last raid, and all it took from us. Now, without the men to help protect our village, all could be lost.”

“We’ll have to move again,” Koro growled.

“It wasn’t Katara’s fault,” Aang cried, stepping in front of her. “I led her there. There was a booby trap though, and, well, we kind of boobied right into it.”

Kallik smacked his forehead. How dumb did you have to be to just walk onto a ship from the Fire Navy? He watched Sokka’s eyes narrow. His cousin was about to do something rash.

“So, the traitor admits it!” Sokka shouted, pointing his finger at Aang.

“Sokka,” Kallik said, softly, moving to stand next to him. Sokka glanced up at the taller boy, still livid. “I think we should gather before making a decision.”

Sokka growled and folded his arms over his chest. “Fine,” he grunted out. “ _Fine._ The airbender will stay outside while we figure out what to do with him. Mom, Gran-gran, gather everyone who wants their voice heard while we make our decision. We’ll meet in the lodge.” The chief’s son spun on his heel and marched toward the large building at the edge of their village.

* * *

Everyone was so _loud._ The elders were shouting about having to move again, and this time, if they left their lodge, how would they build a new one without the manpower to cut new ice blocks? The young mothers and women tittered nervously about the Fire Nation coming back again to finish what they started seven years ago. Sokka sat in front of them all, Kallik to his side and slightly behind him, as he listened to their worries.

Katara wanted to shake him. He wanted to play soldier so badly. It drove her crazy. She huffed to the side with her mom and grandmother, crossing her arms over her chest. Kallik caught sight of her and winced, nudging Sokka. He murmured something to her brother which made the boy groan before waving Katara over. Her mom smiled and winked at her as Katara got up to join the boys in front.

“About time you decided to quit being a sexist jerk,” she muttered as she sat down next to them.

“For your information, I didn’t have you sitting here because you’re the one who went off with the airbender and lit that flare,” Sokka said, haughtily. Kallik sighed.

“Sokka,” he said, softly, “Katara didn’t do it on purpose. We all make mistakes. Remember when you tried to get that fishhook out of your finger with another fishhook?”

“It seemed like a good idea at the time!” Sokka said as Katara snickered.

“And now?” Kallik asked, calmly.

Sokka shrugged. “Now it seems pretty stupid.”

“And didn’t it seem stupid to all of us who were with you, who told you not to do it?”

“Yeah,” Sokka said, hanging his head. “But it was just my finger. What happened at the ship endangered the whole tribe.”

“Maybe, maybe not,” Kallik said, frowning. “There hasn’t been a raid since—well, you know. And I remember, clear as day, the guy your dad killed? He was looking for a waterbender, and the soldier who took his body said he would lie and tell them they killed the waterbender. He said they wouldn’t come back.”

“And you trust him? A Fire Nation soldier?”

Katara watched Kallik carefully, as he thought about Sokka’s question. Sokka didn’t know. He wasn’t there. Katara remembered, though. She remembered the sincerity in that man’s face when he told them he didn’t want to fight, anymore.

“Yes,” Kallik said, finally. “I do.”

Sokka huffed and shook his head. It reminded Katara of when her dad and uncle would go back and forth about decisions that would dramatically affect the tribe’s welfare. Uncle Bato had taught Kallik a lot before they left. It looked like Dad taught Sokka a few things, too.

“You’re not even listening to us!” an old man shouted, raising a shaking fist. “Chief Hakoda would never show such disrespect! Listening to that ash—”

“Shut up, Pana!” the woman next to him scolded, pulling his arm down. Katara saw the shift in Kallik’s eyes as he closed himself off.

“No! It matters!” Panuk said, near the front. “If we’re talking about Fire Nation spies—”

“Panuk,” Katara said with a scowl, “Kallik never did anything to you—”

“Maybe not,” Panuk sneered, “but I don’t want a firebender to have any influence over a decision that has to do with protecting ourselves from the nation he came from.”

“Enough!” Sokka shouted, standing up. The babble ceased. “Kallik is our family. He is the son of Bato and Kyra, and he grew up with us. His bending has nothing to do with this. I don’t care if any of you are uncomfortable with this, he’s a member of this tribe, and we all take care of each other! No one is left behind. Am I understood?”

The crowd murmured its assent, and the discussions began. Katara’s mom and grandmother both made it clear that they didn’t think the Fire Nation would come back here for a long time, despite the flare. The last information they got from the traders they met near their borders indicated many of navy ships had been heading north. They came to the conclusion that they should increase watches and be prepared to flee the village and hide, but otherwise, they would continue as they always had.

Then came the discussion of what to do with Aang in general.

Sokka said, in retrospect, the likelihood of a twelve-year-old airbender being a spy was a bit ridiculous. When Katara mentioned they discovered Aang must have been frozen for at least a hundred years, chattering broke out again.

The mothers were concerned about his influence over their children. Who knew what bizarre ideas he would give them? The elders were skeptical about the amount of time he was in the ice. The ones that remembered the benders claimed that there was no way anyone could survive very long in those conditions, no matter how powerful. Sokka was worried that the airbender would distract the villagers from their chores and training. Katara had enough.

“Aang brought us something we haven’t had in a long time,” she said, glaring at everyone. “Fun.”

The group murmured again. Kallik—the best timekeeper of all of them—suggested they take a break and resume talks after everyone got a chance to snack and stretch.

“I’m going to talk to him,” he said to Sokka as they stood up.

“I’ll come with you,” Katara said, but Kallik held out his hand.

“No, Katara. We already know how you feel, and I want to get a read on him without your influence,” Kallik said with finality.

“You can’t tell me what to do!” Katara said, frowning at her friend. Sokka stood between them, making his serious face at Katara.

“Katara, I want Kallik to make a call, here. I need his input. He notices threats you and I don’t,” he said, firmly. Katara couldn’t argue with the statement. Kallik had to watch his back against people from their own tribe—people who were meant to protect him. The only people he trusted blindly were her family, Koro, and his dad. Everyone else was always treated with suspicion. He was one of the few who could get a good read on others.

“It’ll be okay, Katara. Kallik will be fair.” Sokka’s tone left no room for argument.

Katara sighed and looked at the floor.

“Fine,” she said. She looked up at Kallik very seriously. “What he said before? If I’m right, and he is over a hundred years old—he didn’t mean it, Kallik. Not the way you think he did, anyway.”

Kallik offered her a small smile. “I’ve heard worse from Panuk, Katara. I won’t hold it against him.”

* * *

The airbender was spinning a small ball of air between his hands, tongue poked out in concentration. Kallik tilted his head, studying his stance. It was like he was trying to cage the air in his hands. He sat next to Aang, breaking the boy’s focus. The airball dissipated.

“How do you do that?” Kallik asked, curious.

“Oh, I invented it, actually. You use your breath to control the air currents, and your hands to hold the ball in place. You can make them huge, too. I use one as a scooter, sometimes,” Aang said with a grin.

“How do you keep the shape when it’s a scooter?” Kallik asked. Holding an airball in your hands made sense, since he could contain the air. How did he contain it if he stood or sat on it?

Aang shrugged. “It’s the same concept. You control it with your breath, but instead of using your hands to keep it in place, you use the ground and your body.”

Kallik hummed in acknowledgement. “I suppose that makes sense,” he said, mimicking the way Aang held his hands. He wondered if he could do the same with fire.

“So, you’re a firebender?” Aang asked. Kallik looked over at him and saw the boy looking up at him with wide eyes. Kallik shrugged.

“Yes,” he said. “We found out when I was nine.”

“Wow,” Aang breathed. “And you lived here all your life?” Kallik nodded. “But I thought firebenders couldn’t live at the poles. You must be a really powerful bender.”

Kallik shook his head. “No, I’m not very good,” he said, shrugging. “I can move fire around, and heat up our cookfires and smother them out—I can make flames, too, but I can’t keep them lit for very long.”

“I just don’t get how a firebender is able to live at the poles.”

Kallik sighed, thinking carefully of his answer. Aang was young. He thought about how he would answer if little Koko asked him, instead. Kallik looked around, as if he were about to share a serious secret. Aang leaned forward, gray eyes huge, acting like the kid he was. Kallik wondered how he could have thought for a second that this boy meant them any harm.

He reached up and tapped a bead in his white braid. Aang scrunched his face up in confusion, making Kallik laugh.

“What?” the boy asked, petulantly. “I don’t get it! What does hair have to do with anything?”

“Aren’t you a monk? I thought the airbenders were spiritual,” Kallik said.

Aang rubbed the back of his head, grinning sheepishly. “Well, yeah, the grownups. We learn all that stuff about the Spirits when we get older. There are some Except the great ones. Everyone learns about the Autumn Lord, Tui and La, and Agni.”

“Well, Tui actually has something to do with it. She saved my life, and left her mark on me,” Kallik said, smiling.

Aang was awed. There was no other word for the look that came over his face.

“Wow, Kallik, that’s so cool! You’re Spirit-touched! The monks told us that if we ever met someone that was Spirit-touched that they should be revered.” Aang stood and cupped his hands together in an unusual way, bowing.

Kallik was baffled. “Why?”

Aang straightened up and frowned. “I’m not sure. Something about trials in the Spirit World, or something.”

“I’ve never been to the Spirit World,” Kallik replied.

“That you know of,” Aang said with a wink. Kallik smiled again at the kid’s antics. He couldn’t remember the last time he was so at ease with someone he just met. His stomach grumbled, and he reached into his ever-present pouch for some dried sea prunes. The salty snack wasn’t as good as it was when it was stewed, but it would take the edge off his hunger. The boy looked at the snack curiously.

“Is that dried squid?” he asked. Kallik shook his head.

“Dried squid is lighter, and looks stringier,” he replied, offering some to Aang. “This is dried sea prune. It’s pretty good, if you want to try it. Really salty.”

“Oh, I’m a vegetarian,” Aang said, “but thanks!”

“It’s a plant,” Kallik said. Aang’s eyebrows went up. “It grows off the coasts. What, did you think we only ate meat here?”

  
Aang’s eyes trailed over Kallik’s furs and weapons before he took the offered snack. “Well—I mean, the monks always said the Water Tribes had to hunt for everything to survive. I thought it was because you didn’t have enough plants to live.”

Kallik rubbed his thumb over the bone handle of his machete. “We don’t, but even if we did, hunting is a way of life, Aang. A lot of different peoples hunt to survive.”

“We never did,” Aang said, frowning. “Air Nomads don’t eat meat, because it can affect the purity of the spirit.”

Kallik scoffed at that. “Okay. Well, I’m sorry you’re stuck with such impure people, now—”

“No, wait,” Aang said holding out his hands and nearly dropping the sea prune. He managed to catch it and settled back down next to Kallik. “I keep saying the wrong thing around you. I’m sorry,” he said, earnestly.

Kallik carefully examined him. His head was bowed and his shoulders were drawn inward. He was the picture of remorse. Kallik patted him on the shoulder, making the boy look up at him.

“Apology accepted,” Kallik said. Aang scooted closer to him. “What?”

Aang grinned. “You’re warm,” he said. Kallik chuckled. He was exactly like every other kid Kallik had to deal with. Not only that, but he didn’t look like he could hurt a spider-fly without breaking his own heart. An airbender at the south pole would draw unnecessary attention to them, though. An airbender anywhere, would draw unnecessary attention.

“Aang, how did you survive in that iceberg?” Kallik asked, watching the boy closely. Aang flushed and wiggled uncomfortably.

“I don’t know,” he said, glancing at Kallik. Kallik raised an eyebrow. Sometimes, when the kids were lying, he could catch them out just by staring at them. Aang twisted his hands and frowned, furrowing his eyebrows. “What?”

“Aang,” Kallik said, flatly, “come on.”

“What, I don’t know, okay? There was a storm, and me and Appa went under, and the next thing I know, Katara was waking me up, okay?” Aang said, defensively. Kallik kept staring, frowning like his dad would when he was disappointed. It always worked on Kallik, after all.

Apparently, it worked on Aang, too.

“Fine!” Aang huffed. He looked at the ground. “I—I’m the Avatar.”

Kallik’s heart stuttered and his eyes widened. He was pretty sure his mouth was hanging open.

“What?”

Aang crossed his arms over his chest. “I don’t know how to do anything but airbend, but—the monks told me I was. They told me I was the Avatar and that’s why I became a master so young, and then they wanted to take me away from Gyatso and I panicked and ran away, but I flew into the storm and now I’m here—”

Kallik gently grabbed Aang’s shoulders. The boy looked at him for a moment with a trembling lower lip. Tears were streaming down his face and he lunged at Kallik, hugging him tightly. Kallik patted him awkwardly on the back.

“Everyone I know is gone, now. And there’s a war—why is there a war?”

“I—I don’t know, actually,” Kallik said. “I’m sorry, Aang.” They sat like that for a while, until Aang calmed down. Kallik figured it had to be pretty scary, waking up and finding out everyone you knew was gone. Even if Aang was the Avatar, he was just a kid. Didn’t the stories say the Avatar was told when he or she was sixteen? That seemed like too much of a burden for someone so young.

Aang finally settled down, wiping at his face.

“Thanks, Kallik,” he said, sniffling. They sat quietly for a while. “Hey, why aren’t you in that meeting?”

“We’re taking a recess,” Kallik said. “Everyone was getting a little hotheaded. We took a break to eat and rest. We’re going to resume pretty soon, actually.”

“Oh,” Aang said. “So why did you spend your break with me?”

Kallik shrugged. “Because I don’t think I can make a good decision about you without taking the chance to get to know you.”

“Huh.” Aang scratched his head.

“So if you’re the Avatar, you need to find teachers to learn the elements, don’t you?” Kallik asked, seriously.

Aang sighed. “Yeah—and now that I know there’s this huge war, I really need to help. I can’t believe I disappeared right before all this started.”

“Maybe you were meant to,” Kallik offered. Aang stared at him, shocked. “I just mean that the Spirits are odd, sometimes. They sailed me from the Fire Nation to the South Pole for a reason. Maybe they trapped you in ice for a hundred years for a reason, too.”

Aang hummed, thoughtfully. “Kallik, you know how you said you’re not very good at bending?”

Kallik nodded.

“What do you think about finding a master?”

* * *

“You all need to go.”

Sokka threw his hands up. “Mom!”

His mom stared at him, eyes bright and face stern. She stood tall, arms folded over her chest the way they always were when she was in no mood to argue.

When Kallik came back with the information that Aang was, in fact, the Avatar, the village immediately came to the unanimous conclusion that he could stay as long as he wanted. Aang thanked them for their generosity, but said he had to leave to find bending masters so he could learn the elements and stop the war. They threw a feast that night, grateful that Kallik had brought back such hearty fair. Aang reluctantly ate a lot of dried seaweed and sea prunes.

“Sokka, listen to me,” she urged, holding out her hands. He rolled his eyes and put his hands in hers, staring at them for a minute before looking up at her face. “Your grandmother and I talked about this. After you leave, we’re all going to join the next village.”

“But—”

“There is nothing for us here. We haven’t received any correspondence from your father in over a year. Your sister needs to learn to waterbend, your cousin needs to learn to firebend, and the Avatar is the only one who can stop this war! We all need to do our part.”

“Mom, Dad said my part is to stay here and protect you,” Sokka said, eyes wide and beseeching. His mom smiled at him and nodded.

“Yes, when you were thirteen. I think your part has changed. Now your part is to help the Avatar.” His mom let go of his hands and cupped his face, kissing him on his forehead.

“You will gain so much for our tribe if you go, son. And if you go, Katara and Kallik will follow you. They always do.”

Sokka wrapped his arms around her. “Do you promise you’ll stay safe?”

“I’ll do my best, son,” she replied. “Now that that’s decided, get your sister and cousin. We need to go over some last-minute things before you go.”

While the rest of the village slept on, Sokka gathered supplies with Kallik, who was more quiet than usual. Katara and Aang babbled excitedly about the upcoming journey, but they were younger. Katara was excited to properly learn waterbending, and Aang was excited to take his new friends to exotic places. They didn’t fully know the consequences of leaving the tribe behind, like he and Kallik did.

As the grey horizon brightened again, they were ready to leave. Kya hugged and kissed all three of them. The children talked excitedly at Sokka and Katara as they started to mount Appa. Kallik and Koro exchanged a hug and Narok stood on his hind legs, putting his forepaws on Kallik’s shoulders. The polar dog was longer than Kallik was tall, but Kallik just rubbed his neck and chest, letting the animal lick his face before he joined the rest of them on the air bison.

Aang flipped to the head of the bison as Kallik settled down in the saddle.

“Alright, are you all ready to fly?” he asked, eyes bright with excitement.

Sokka rolled his eyes. “Yeah, because that worked so well the last time.” He looked over at Kallik who raised a curious eyebrow. “He tried to get this thing to fly before, and he just swam in the ocean instead.” Kallik hummed in acknowledgement.

“Sokka doesn’t believe Appa can fly,” Katara said, glaring at Sokka, “but I do.”

“How do you get him to fly?” Kallik asked, gripping the saddle nervously. Aang grinned at him before spinning back around to face forward.

“Appa, yip-yip!”

Sokka startled as the beast growled and gave a giant flap of his tail, leaping into the air. He prepared himself for the sensation of falling back to the ground.

It never came.

Sokka stared around with wide eyes as they climbed higher and higher, watching the villagers stare and point in awe as they flew into the air.

“Spirits, look! Katara, we’re flying!” He looked over at Katara who had a smug grin on her face, then at Kallik who was gripping the saddle so tightly, Sokka wouldn’t be surprised if it broke in his hands. He had an expression that fell somewhere between elated and terrified.

“Okay, so before we find any bending masters, I need to take you guys to ride the hopping llamas—or maybe we could surf on the backs of giant koi fish. Oh, and the flying hog-monkeys are the best—”

Sokka leaned back and closed his eyes. It was going to be a long trip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Writing Notes
> 
> 1\. So, Sokka’s in charge. I don’t know. He seemed like he was in charge (with Kanna) in the first couple of episodes, and it really worked out for this fic. Please suspend your disbelief. 
> 
> 2\. Poor Kallik. He can’t catch a break. Panuk is still around. I had to go back and edit the last chapter. I don’t know why I didn’t have him mentioned, but he’s doing the same stuff as the rest of the older kids. 
> 
> 3\. Wouldn’t Zuko having a fire scooter be absolutely terrifying? ~evil grin~
> 
> 4\. Hear me out. Kallik needs a firebender teacher, but I have him set up to feel guilt and responsibility and crap. Katara needs a waterbender teacher, but if she leaves her whole family behind… I don’t know. I just don’t see her doing it. And it’s been pretty well established that he’s seen as the impromptu leader. So Kya is going to nudge Sokka in that direction. 
> 
> 5\. Where is Azula??? Where is the boat that Iroh was gonna come in on???? What’s up with the Lu Ten Tag?????  
> All in due time, my pretties. All in due time. But I will say this: there is no reason anyone needs to be out looking for the Avatar. Zuko was sent on that mission because his father hates him. He doesn’t hold the same hatred for Azula, and even with Ursa’s influence, I don’t see her changing that drastically. 
> 
> 6\. Out of all the OCs I’ve made for this fic, Narok is my favorite. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! Please leave a kudos if you were entertained, and a comment to share your thoughts! Also, feel free to come say hi to me on [Tumblr!](https://hanuko.tumblr.com/)


	11. Chapter Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“Can you believe this?” Sokka asked, nudging his head in the direction of his sister and the Avatar._
> 
> _“Man, this place is creepy,” Kallik replied. “And you should take spirit stuff more seriously.”_
> 
> _“Not you, too!” Sokka cried._
> 
> _“Sokka, I’ve always believed in the Spirits,” Kallik replied, raising an eyebrow. “It’s kind of hard not to.” He pointed to the white braid in his hair._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hi, good morning!
> 
> Here's the next chapter! This one and the next one will be familiar, with how it will echo the show. We'll get some real deviation in the twelfth chapter. You'll see. I'm not sure at that point how much this will follow the show and how much it will go its own way. My outline has it following several episodes, but... well. We'll see. 
> 
> May I present to you, the Southern Air Temple! Hope you enjoy it!

Kallik tended to the fire, getting the coals hot enough to cook breakfast. He woke at dawn, so he took care of the morning chores while the others slept. Aang was the first to wake up after him.

“Did you use your bending?” he asked, grinning.

Kallik shrugged, shifted the coals. “No, I don’t usually unless we need fire right away.”

Aang furrowed his brow. “Why not?”

Kallik sighed and stood up, moving to their supply bags. He couldn’t put in his words what it was like to grow up where everyone was afraid of his bending. The only ones who weren’t were his father and Katara. Even Sokka was nervous whenever he lit a flame. Kallik pulled out some dishes to start cooking breakfast.

“We should wake the others,” he said, changing the subject. “We’ll need to break down camp soon. I don’t like the look of those clouds over there.”

“Kallik,” Aang said, a reproachful. Kallik moved back to the tent and poked his head in to shout at the siblings.

“Rise and shine!” he said, loudly. Sokka grunted and rolled over, but Katara sat up and rubbed her eyes.

“Do you need help with breakfast?” she asked, stretching.

“Yes please,” Kallik said, gratefully. “Thanks Katara.” He raised his voice as Katara exited the tent, “I’m glad _one_ of you can act responsibly.”

“I’m up,” Sokka groaned, sitting up and rubbing his face. “Geez, what time is it, anyway?” Sokka stumbled out of the tent and Kallik grabbed his shoulders to steady him. Sokka squinted at the horizon.

“Kallik!” he whined. “It’s dawn!” Sokka pointed at the sun that hung low over the horizon.

“No, Dawn was ages ago,” Kallik grinned, ruffling Sokka’s hair. “Look, chief-to-be,” Kallik said as he pointed to the dark clouds gathering in the distance. “That’s not something we want to break down camp in, alright?”

Sokka grimaced at the sight. “Yeah, that makes sense. We’ll hunt at the next stop.”

“It’s gonna be a light breakfast,” Kallik warned.

“We’ll manage. There’s some dried seal jerky, so I think we’ll be alright,” Sokka said. “That storm started brewing really quickly. It’s a good thing you spotted it.”

Kallik shrugged, indifferently. “You don’t have to tell me. I can’t believe this mess. My bad luck is already following us around.”

“Don’t even joke about that,” Sokka said with a shudder.

They busied themselves with their chores, and Aang didn’t try to ask Kallik about his bending again. Kallik was grateful for this. He needed the break so he could sort out his own thoughts about everything.

He had been fighting with himself since Aang brought up the prospect of finding a master. Someone who could actually teach Kallik to do his bending? It was something he never thought would be possible. He thought all he could do was make sparks and tiny flames, or move fire around like Katara did with water, and he was okay with that. At least, he thought he was.

Once Aang said they could find an actual teacher, though, Kallik realized how much he was just telling himself he was fine. The reality was, he _did_ want to learn more. He wanted to know how to use his bending so he could protect his village with something more than his blades. He wanted to learn how to control his power so sparks wouldn’t fly off his fingertips when he was mad. He wanted to be able to actually use that small, burning fire that only he could feel, flickering in time with his heartbeat.

Firebending terrified him, though. It scared him to his very bones. He never forgot the fight with that man. He never forgot the heat that grazed his hands and arms as he flung enemy fire behind him. He still could smell the singed fur of his parka. The look in Aunt Kya’s eyes haunted his dreams. He put that fear in her. The day he became a firebender was the worst in his life. Part of him wanted to bury it away forever.

The four of them made quick work of their campsite. Kallik smothered the fire as Sokka handed up the last bags to Katara. Aang was saddling Appa.

“I know. That’s why I have to see it for myself,” Kallik heard Aang say as he climbed into the saddle. Kallik settled down, gripping the leather railing and closing his eyes. He wasn’t sure if he would ever get used to this.

“What are you talking about?” Sokka asked. Kallik felt him sit down next to him.

“The Southern Air Temple!” Aang said. “Appa, yip-yip!”

Kallik held his breath as the air bison leapt off the ground. His stomach climbed into his throat. This was nothing like ice dodging or penguin sledding. Boats and otter-penguins operated in a territory he was familiar with. Hovering hundreds of feet in the air with nothing to hold them up? He didn’t understand how Sokka and Katara could think this was fun.

“It’s okay, buddy,” Sokka said, slinging an arm around his shoulders. “You’ll get used to it.”

“Ugh,” Kallik groaned. “Shut up.”

“Aw, Kallik. There’s nothing wrong with having delicate sensibilities—”

“Tui and La,” Kallik growled, cracking an eye open. Sokka was smirking at him. “If you don’t shut up, I’ll—”

“What? Puke on me?” Sokka laughed, poking Kallik in the shoulder. Kallik clenched his free hand into a fist, but Sokka just sniggered at him. “You have to let go of the saddle to hit me.”

Kallik rolled his eyes and sat up, letting go of the leather handle. “I wouldn’t hit you anyway. You can’t handle it.”

Sokka looked affronted. “What?” he shouted, flinging his arms up. “I can take you on!”

“Yeah, right,” Kallik scoffed. “Because our last spar worked out so well for you.”

“You—”

“Is this normal?” Aang asked, leaning towards Katara. He looked concerned.

Katara sighed. “Yes. They argue with each other for fun.”

“Oh,” Aang said. He released the reigns and flipped backwards, sitting next to Katara in the saddle. Kallik gripped the saddle again and leaned backwards, trying not to panic.

“Sokka, will you grab the sea prunes,” she asked, frowning at Kallik. “Do you want some?”

Kallik shook his head, swallowing. “I’m fine.”

“Kallik?” Aang ventured. Kallik looked over at him. “It’s okay to be scared.”

Kallik felt his face flush. “I’m not scared!” Sokka pressed his lips together and looked back and forth between Aang and Kallik.

Aang smiled at him. “Or anxious, or nervous. But you can trust me and you can trust Appa, okay? We won’t let you fall.”

Kallik groaned and flopped backward, staring up at the blue sky above them. He heard Katara giggle.

“I hate you,” he said, half-heartedly.

“No, you don’t,” Katara responded. He felt her poke his foot.

“No, I don’t,” he agreed, voice reluctant.

They flew through the clouds, far away from the storm that was heading toward them. Aang directed them over a variety of islands. Eventually, Kallik relaxed enough to let go of the saddle and eat some seal jerky with Sokka.

“The Potola Mountain Range,” Aang exclaimed. “We’re almost there!”

“Aang,” Katara said, tone gentle, “before we get to the temple, I want to talk to you about the airbenders.”

“What about them?” Aang asked.

Kallik winced. He knew Aang had been gone for a hundred years, but he still didn’t seem to understand what that meant, and how much had changed over time.

“Well,” Katara said slowly, “I just want you to be prepared for what you might see.” She turned her head and looked at Kallik before lowering her gaze.

“The Fire Nation is ruthless,” she said, sadly.

“They killed my mother,” Kallik said, tone flat. Aang looked back at him, eyes wide and sad. Kallik hated the pity they held, and stared down at his hands instead.

“They could have done the same to your people,” Katara continued, voice soft.

Aang looked thoughtful for a moment before smiling. “Just because no one has seen an airbender doesn’t mean the Fire Nation killed them all. They probably escaped.”

Kallik sighed. The rest of this trip was not going to be pleasant.

“Aang—”

“You don’t understand, Katara,” Aang continued, smiling wide, “the only way to get to an Air Temple is on an air bison!”

Aang pulled back the reigns without warning. Kallik slid back against the saddle and gripped the sides hard with both hands as they quickly flew up and over the peak of a mountain. Kallik held his breath and felt a painful pop in his ear. He stretched out his jaw as they leveled out and slowed down, trying to adjust to the new pressure in his head. He blinked, shaking his head a little, wondering why Appa was tilting around so much all of a sudden. His vision was greying out.

“Kallik?” Sokka asked. He sounded nervous, but Kallik was having trouble picking out his voice over the rush in his ears.

“There it is.”

Why was everything dark?

“The Southern Air Temple.”

* * *

“I’m so sorry!” Aang exclaimed, flitting over them as they settled Kallik on the ground. Sokka rested his head and shoulders against a bedroll as Katara pulled out their medicines.

“It wasn’t your fault, Aang,” she said, grabbing a smelling salt from their kit.

“No, I think it was,” he said, woefully. Katara looked up sharply and Sokka glared at him.

“What did you do?” Sokka growled, gripping his boomerang. Aang held his hands up in surrender.

“I forgot! The monks always said to be careful coming up when you bring new visitors, and I forgot.”

“Aang, slow down,” Katara said, grabbing a spare water skin. “What are you talking about?”

“We’re really, really high up,” Aang said. “I’m an airbender, so it’s no problem for me, and some people don’t have a problem with such a high place, but others can faint if they come up too quick or get sick if they stay too long,” he said. “I should have done a gradual rise, I’m so sorry.”

Katara sighed and unscrewed the cap from the jar of salt, then held it under Kallik’s nose. After a moment, he snorted and shot up, gagging. Katara rubbed a soothing circle on his back as he coughed, trying to ease him.

“What,” he gasped, clutching his chest as his breathing evened out, “what happened?”

“You passed out,” Sokka said, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Are you feeling okay?”

“I feel like I just got dragged around by a polar bear-dog,” Kallik grunted, pinching the bridge of his nose and squeezing his eyes shut.

“What is it?” Katara asked, quietly.

“Headache,” Kallik bit out.

“Oh!” Aang exclaimed, grinning. “I know what’ll fix that. Just a second!” he flew off into the trees. Kallik groaned and rocked forward a little, trying to hunch in on himself.

“See,” Sokka said, nudging him. “Delicate sensibilities.” He bolstered his voice with extra bravado. Katara was pretty sure he was covering his nerves.

“I will kill you,” Kallik groaned. Katara saw him open an eye and bump his shoulder against Sokka’s.

“Boys,” she muttered, sorting through her medicine to find the snow-willow bark.

Aang returned with a green berry in his hand.

“Here,” he said, passing it to Kallik. Kallik eyed it warily. “It’s works really quick on headaches, honest. A long time ago, I brought my friend Kuzon here and the same thing happened to him. This is what Monk Gyatso gave him. It doesn’t taste good, but it’ll work.”

Kallik glanced over at Katara, who shrugged. She didn’t think it would hurt to try. Kallik sighed and popped the berry into his mouth, face puckering at the taste. The tension around his eyes seemed to ease as he chewed, and when he swallowed, he gestured for Katana’s water. Katara handed it to him, and he took a quick pull from the mouth of the bag, rinsing his mouth out.

“That was disgusting,” he said, repulsed.

“But did it work?” Aang asked.

Kallik scowled at him but gave him a single nod. Aang grinned.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” he said. “I’ll be more careful next time.”

“Um, that’s okay,” Kallik said, confused. He glanced at Katara to help him understand what happened.

“He didn’t approach right,” Katara explained. “They don’t often bring outsiders and when they do, they’re supposed to do the climb gradually. That’s what made you faint.”

“Oh,” Kallik said, furrowing his brow. “You two are fine?”

Katara and Sokka shrugged. Aang scuffed his toe against the stone floor.

“Some people just get affected differently,” he said. Kallik was giving him his polar dog look. Aang squirmed a little, and Katara stood in front of him.

“Since you’re feeling better, I think Aang could probably show us around now, right?” she asked, raising an eyebrow at Kallik. Kallik stared at her and shrugged, pulling himself to his feet. Sokka rose with him.

“Oh yeah!” Aang said, excitedly. He led them up a stone path. “I can’t wait to show you guys the airball court!”

* * *

Kallik winced as Sokka flew off the wooden pole he was standing on, this time through the goal behind him. Aang laughed and teased him a little as Kallik and Katara ran over to help him up.

“Making him feel better is putting me in a world of hurt,” he muttered. Kallik chuckled.

“You’re the one who volunteered.” He held out a hand for Sokka but the other boy swatted it away.

“How could I not?” Sokka asked, wincing. “He looked like Narok does when you won’t give him his extra treat—whoa,” he crawled forward. Kallik and Katara stared at each other before following.

“Check this out,” Sokka said, shifting over so they could see what caught his attention. An old, rusted helmet sat against the rocky wall, faceplate staring out at them. Kallik shuddered. It wasn’t quite the same, but it looked similar to the armor of the men who attacked them.

“Fire Nation,” Katara whispered.

“We should tell him,” Sokka said. Katara nodded.

“Aang, there’s something you need to see,” she called.

“Okay,” Aang shouted back as he ran over, tossing the ball in his hands. Kallik watched indecision flash in Katara’s eyes, before she swept the snow off the cliff to bury the helmet. Sokka spluttered as cold snow hit his body.

“What is it?” Aang asked, looking around.

“Just… a new waterbending move I learned,” Katara said, smiling nervously.

“Nice one!” Aang said. “But enough practicing. We have a whole temple to see!” He started to walk toward the temple that overlooked the court.

“You know,” Sokka sighed, “you can’t protect him forever.” Katara didn’t respond as they followed him into the temple.

Aang showed them the statue of his mentor, Monk Gyatso, before taking them to the sanctuary within. The door was adorned with an odd, metal symbol for the Air Nomads. Aang explained the key to opening the door was airbending, and quickly executed a move that caused the lock to sing before the doors swung open.

The three entered a strange, circular room filled with statues arranged on a spiral.

“Who are all these people?” Katara asked. Kallik shivered. He felt the hairs on his arms rising. Something wasn’t right about this place.

“I’m not sure,” Aang responded, “but it feels like I know them somehow. Look!”

Aang was pointing to an Air Nomad statue. “This one’s an airbender!”

“And this one’s a waterbender,” Katara exclaimed, pointing at the next statue. “They’re lined up in a pattern…. Air, water, earth, and fire.”

“That’s the Avatar cycle,” Aang said. Kallik swallowed and shook himself. The room was spooky, and all the Avatar talk wasn’t helping. Didn’t Aang say he was supposed to meet someone here? Were they a spirit? Katara and Aang talked about the Avatars a bit more as they moved further into the room.

“Katara, do you really believe in this stuff?” Sokka asked, rolling his eyes.

“It’s true!” Katara said, vehemently. “When the Avatar dies, he’s reincarnated into the next nation in the cycle. Right Aang? Aang?”

Aang was standing in front of the last statue in the cycle, staring into its face.

“Can you believe this?” Sokka asked, nudging his head in the direction of his sister and the Avatar.

“Man, this place is creepy,” Kallik replied. “And you should take spirit stuff more seriously.”

“Not you, too!” Sokka cried.

“Sokka, I’ve always believed in the Spirits,” Kallik replied, raising an eyebrow. “It’s kind of hard not to.” He pointed to the white braid in his hair.

“Right,” Sokka said, grudgingly.

“That’s Avatar Roku,” Aang said. Sokka and Kallik walked forward. Kallik examined the statue. It—wasn’t what he expected. But then, he couldn’t expect everyone from the Fire Nation to wear armor all the time.

“You were a firebender?” Sokka asked. “Maybe you can give Kallik some pointers so he’ll stop singeing my socks on laundry day,” he snickered.

“Why am I drying your socks, again?” Kallik deadpanned.

“At least you get them when they’re clean,” Katara scoffed. “Have you ever smelled his dirty socks?”

“No, and I don’t need to,” Kallik said, grimacing.

“Hey!” Sokka cried.

“Aang,” Katara asked. “How did you know his name? There’s no writing here.”

Aang shrugged. “I’m not sure. I just know it somehow.”

“Just when I thought you couldn’t get weirder,” Sokka muttered. The sound of a kicked pebble skittered along the ground. The four looked down to see a large, frightening shadow approaching. Each hid behind a statue. Kallik pulled out his machete as quietly as possible.

“Shh,” Sokka whispered, making Kallik want to smack him. “Nobody make a sound.”

“You’re making a sound!” Katara whispered loudly. Kallik glared at both of them and pressed his free hand over his mouth. Katara blushed but pressed her hands against her lips. She was probably embarrassed to have to use a trick they were taught as children, but it was effective. Aang opened his mouth but she shook her head. Kallik tensed, carefully peering around the side of the statue.

As soon as the body appeared to be in striking distance, Sokka rose, club ready. He slipped around the statue, club held high overhead, and froze. Kallik immediately followed, ready to defend. He stopped at the sight that greeted him.

There was a tiny, furry, big eared creature standing in the doorway. It had grey and white fur and tiny green eyes. It chirruped. Kallik smiled at the sight, wondering what kind of treats it would eat.

“Lemur!” Aang shouted.

“Dinner!” Sokka drooled, bolting past the statues.

The two ran towards the lemur and chased him out of the sanctuary, leaving Kallik and Katara behind.

“What just happened?” Katara asked. Kallik shrugged, then rubbed his arms. The weird feeling he got in this space wouldn’t go away.

“Can we get out of here?” he asked.

Katara smiled at him and nodded, leading the way out. They walked down the path they saw Sokka running along, chasing after Aang and the lemur. There was a covered area not too far off that Sokka slipped into.

“He’s being really nice to him,” Kallik said. Katara smiled.

“Yeah. He’s a good big brother, when he wants to be.”

Kallik laughed, nudging her. She frowned. He followed her line of sight to see dust start billowing around the building. Suddenly, the roof exploded upward, revealing a giant windstorm. Kallik and Katara ran forward, only to be pushed back by the gusts. Sokka was clinging to a stone block. In front of them, Aang was hovering, surrounded by a circular sphere of air.

“What happened?” Kallik shouted, grabbing the block next to Sokka.

“He found out the Fire Nation killed Monk Gyatso!” Sokka shouted back.

“Oh no!” Katara said. “It’s in the stories Gran-gran told. It’s his Avatar Spirit. Seeing this must have triggered it! I’m gonna try to calm him down!”

“Well do it before he blows us off the mountain!” Sokka screamed.

“Don’t even joke about that!” Kallik yelled, squinting in the wind.

“Who said I was joking?!”

Katara slid forward, step by careful step, shouting at Aang and begging him to calm down. Aang slowly rose into the air, but spun around to face them.

“Aang, I know you’re upset,” Katara shouted. “And I know how hard it is to lose the people you love.”

“How would you know!” Kallik found himself holding his breath. The voice that came out of Aang’s body was wrong, and it was terrifying. Kallik could hear ancient power and rage screaming at them.

“Sokka and I went through the same thing when I lost Auntie Kyra,” she said. “And she was Kallik’s _mom._ We lost her to the Fire Nation. Our fathers left to fight in the war. We know loss,” she inched closer, beseeching him. “Aang, Monk Gyatso and the other airbenders may be gone, but you still have a family. We’re your family now. Me, Sokka, and Kallik. You’re our family and we’ll take care of you.”

The winds slowed to a stop and Aang slowly sank back to the earth. Kallik found himself running up to Aang with Sokka.

“We won’t let anything happen to you, buddy,” Sokka said. Katara held out her hand and took Aang’s. The glow left his eyes completely, and there were tears on his face. He looked up at Kallik.

“You can trust us,” he said, putting his hand on Aang’s shoulder. “We won’t let you fall.”

Aang sniffled and gave a watery smile as Kallik echoed his words from earlier, allowing the three of them to pull him into a hug.

* * *

Aang sighed as he stared at his home. He didn’t regret coming here. He needed to see what changed with his own eyes. The lemur perched on his arm, chittering.

“You, me, and Appa,” Aang said, watching the sky turn pink with the sunrise, “we’re all that’s left of this place. We have to stick together.” His new friends walked up to him, each carrying a pack. Kallik and Katara were bickering about something, and Sokka was rolling his eyes. Aang smiled, feeling a sense of belonging as they approached.

“Katara, Sokka, Kallik,” he said, shifting his arm so the lemur would move closer to them. “Say hello to the newest member of our family.”

Kallik presented the lemur with a piece of fruit, smiling widely when the lemur ate it and grabbed onto his hand, looking for more.

“What are you gonna name him?” Katara asked. The lemur took off, quick as lightening, snatching Sokka’s half-eaten peach out of his hand.

Aang grinned, staring between Sokka’s dumbfounded look and the lemur’s cheeks full of fruit.

“Momo,” he said, laughing. The lemur hopped off his arm to Kallik’s shoulder and started picking at his hair.

“He likes you!” Aang exclaimed. Kallik grinned back.

“Well yeah,” Sokka grumbled. “It’s Kallik. All the animals like him.”

“Really?” Aang asked.

“Yeah. You should hear the story about the first time we went penguin sledding.”

Aang couldn’t be happier to be part of this wonderful family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Writing Notes:
> 
> 1\. Zuko is still really unlucky, guys. Everything that can go wrong, will. 
> 
> 2\. Many things can cause a person to faint. The biological symptoms it’s linked to are a sudden change in blood pressure, change in heart rhythm, change in breathing/oxygen, etc. A sudden climb into a new, high elevation is not generally going to cause a person to pass out, but it could depending on other circumstances. As for altitude sickness, it can be caused by sudden altitude changes, and you bet your butt Kallik is prone to it. I can’t speak for canon. I know Zuko went to all the air temples, but the only scenes we see of him are at the Western Air Temple, which is at a much lower elevation than the Northern and Southern Air Temples. I would think the thinner air would affect a firebender, wouldn’t you? So, Kallik is prone to it. 
> 
> 3\. Kallik’s spirit senses are tingling. 
> 
> 4\. It’s gonna be a running thing that Kallik or Sokka will say something and the other will reply with, “don’t even joke about that.” Like, we all know how sarcastic Sokka is, and Zuko was in canon, too, so I can see them exchanging barbs, and one of them would go too far with something that could jinx them or be too dark or something, and the other would be like, “bro.” 
> 
> Hope you liked it! Please leave a kudos if you were entertained, and leave a comment to let me know your thoughts. And if you like, I'm [@hanuko](https://hanuko.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr, so feel free to come by and say hi!


	12. Chapter Eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“Wait a second,” Sokka said, “there’s no way a bunch of girls took us down.”_
> 
> _“Don’t antagonize the people who are going to feed us to that water monster,” Kallik hissed._
> 
> _“Too late,” the girl in front said, gripping Sokka’s collar. “The Unagi is going to eat well tonight.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been on a mad writing spree. This was one of my favorite episodes, so it was odd to change bits of it. Hope you enjoy!

Kallik shook his head as Sokka demanded the map from Aang, sharpening his machete. All the time they spent in the air as they hopped from island to island got him very used to the sensation of flying. He still didn’t like it, but he didn’t feel the urge to hang onto Appa’s saddle as if his life depended on it. Katara hummed a little as she worked on fixing Sokka’s pants.

“You have no idea where you’re going, do you?” Sokka asked, rolling the map back up.

“Well,” Aang said, apologetically, “I know it’s near water.”

“Great,” Sokka said. “We must be close.” Kallik lifted his head up and looked around, then snickered when he saw there was nothing _but_ water below them.

“Hey Katara,” Aang said, “check out this airbending trick!” Kallik looked up and watched as a small marble spun around between Aang’s hands. It was pretty cool, how well he could control the air currents.

“That’s great, Aang,” Katara said, eyes on her work. Kallik snickered and nudged Sokka, making the boy narrow his eyes. Kallik shook his head. It was kind of cute how much the younger boy was trying to show off for her, but Sokka was always overprotective of his little sister.

“You didn’t even look,” Aang said, pouting.

Katara looked up and smiled at him. “That’s great!” The marble sat still in his hand.

“I’m not doing it now,” he mumbled, looking dejected.

“Stop bugging her, airhead,” Sokka said in a low voice. “You gotta give girls space when they do their sewing.”

_Translation,_ Kallik thought, _eyes off my sister and back on the road. Sky. Whatever._

“What does me being a girl have to do with sewing?” Katara asked, raising an eyebrow at her brother. Kallik immediately looked back down at his machete, putting his sharpening stone away and pulling out a cloth to clean it. He did _not_ need to be part of this fight.

_Don’t say it,_ he thought, desperately. _Don’t say it, Sokka._

“Simple,” Sokka said, “girls are better at fixing pants than guys, and guys are better at hunting and fighting and stuff like that.”

“You’re an idiot,” Kallik muttered.

“Huh?” Sokka asked, turning to him.

“All done with your pants!” Katara said in a chipper voice, throwing the garment back at Sokka. It was still riddled with holes. “Didn’t I do a great job?”

“Wait,” Sokka said, “I didn’t mean it. Come on, Katara, I can’t wear these. Please?”

“So what you do,” Kallik said, slowly, “is take the thread and pull it through the eye of the needle. Then you knot the end, and you pull the needle and thread through the fabric to put it together again.”

“Kallik,” Sokka groaned. “Come on, they’ll look terrible if I do it.”

“Yeah, but it’s good practice,” Kallik said, shrugging. “You should have learned stitching from your Dad or mine for injuries, in case you’re ever hurt while hunting.”

“I mean, I know how to do that, in theory,” Sokka said, hesitantly.

“Glad to know if Katara or I are hurt, you know how to fix us up _‘in theory.’”_

“Pants are different!” Sokka shouted.

“Yeah. They’re easier,” Kallik deadpanned.

“Relax, Sokka,” Aang said. “Where we’re going, you won’t need any pants.” Ahead was a small island with a large, empty bay. Appa landed and Aang flew off the air bison, landing gracefully on his feet. Katara, Kallik, and Sokka slid down the animal’s tail. Momo perched on Kallik’s shoulder.

“Didn’t we just stop?” Kallik asked, scratching behind Momo’s ear. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to be back on the ground, but shouldn’t we go a little farther before we take another break?”

“Appa is tired,” Aang said, “aren’t you, boy?”

Kallik narrowed his eyes as he watched the boy nudge the bison in the side. The beast grunted before letting out a large yawn.

“Yeah,” Sokka said, sarcastically. “I’m convinced.”

Kallik folded his arms over his chest. Aang had an irritating habit of telling white lies when he wanted to get his way. He had planned on confronting him about it at the Air Temple. Kallik was certain Aang knew why he got sick and the other’s didn’t. Katara had cut him off before he got a chance to question the airbender. Now they had stopped on a snowy island that wouldn’t have much in the way of food or supplies, as far as Kallik could tell, and Aang wasn’t telling them why. It was frustrating. Didn’t they just say he was family, now? You weren’t supposed to lie to your family.

“Still,” Sokka relented, “it’s hard to argue with a ten-ton magical monster.”

A large fish jumped out of the water, startling Kallik.

“Look!” Aang shouted, pointing to the water. Kallik glanced over at Katara and Sokka, who looked as stunned as he felt.

“That’s why we’re here,” Aang continued, stripping his clothes. Kallik wanted to shake him. It was too cold to be stripping down to his underwear! Sure, it may not have been as bad as the South Pole, but there was snow on the ground, here.

“That’s an Elephant Koi, and I’m gonna ride it,” Aang said, grinning. “Katara, you’ve gotta watch me!”

Kallik was about to grab him to keep him from the water, but Aang was too quick for him. The boy ran into the water and fully dunked himself. He surfaced quickly enough to shout about how cold it was before he swam towards the giant fish. Sokka looked over at his sister and raised his hand, twisting his finger around in the, _he’s crazy,_ gesture. Kallik found himself wholeheartedly agreeing.

Soon, Aang was holding onto the back of one of the Elephant Koi, laughing loudly and waving at them. Katara cheered and waved back, laughing at the sight.

“He looks pretty good out there,” she grinned.

“Are you kidding?” Sokka scoffed, folding his arms over his chest. “The fish is doing all the work.”

“I don’t know,” Kallik said, somewhat awed. “Holding onto a fish for dear life takes some effort.” Appa grumbled behind them, catching Katara’s attention.

“No, Appa!” she shouted, running back to the air bison, who found a prickly bush to chew on, “Don’t eat that!”

“Hey,” Sokka said, voice low and worried. Kallik looked back out at the water and swallowed, his heart stuttering. Something was pulling the other Elephant Koi under as they swam. “He needs to get out of there!” Kallik and Sokka started shouting, trying to wave him back to shore.

“What’s going on?” Katara asked, as she joined them again.

“There’s something in the water,” Sokka said. “Aang’s in trouble!”

“Aang!” she shouted, waving her own arms. Suddenly, the boy was thrown off the Elephant Koi, right in front of a giant, brownish fin that surfaced. Then, he moved so fast that he was running on water. He ran straight into Sokka, bowling the boy over in his haste to get away. Kallik and Katara chased after them, finding they had halted at the tree line where they left their belongings. Aang climbed off of Sokka and started pulling his clothes back on.

“What was that thing?” Katara asked, looking back at the bay.

“I have no idea,” Aang said, dumbfounded.

“I vote we get out of here,” Kallik said, looking around nervously. Something wasn’t right.

“I’m with Kallik. Let’s get a move on,” Sokka said, with finality. Kallik heard a whisper of fabric on air and looked up, gaping at some green-clad figures that dropped over them. He took a step back, sparks flying off his fingertips before his arms were pinned behind his back and a blindfold was tied over his eyes. He struggled, trying to find his balance, but it was useless. He was tied up and pushed to the ground. He heard grunts and thuds from the others, as well as the chittering of a very distressed Momo.

Kallik strained his ears. He heard the warriors whisper, but he couldn’t make out what they were saying. After a few minutes, he was hauled to his feet. Two warriors gripped him on either side, dragging him forward.

“Guys?” he asked, trying to twist his head back.

“We’re here, Kallik,” Katara replied from somewhere behind him.

“Oh man,” Aang said, in front of him, “We’re sorry! We just wanted to see the Elephant Koi!”

Their captors had nothing to say in response. After an eternity of stumbling blindly forward, Kallik’s back was pressed against something hard. The fighters wound something tightly around him, pinning him to the object. He felt arms pressed against him on both sides.

“Let us go!” Sokka said, to his left. Kallik could feel him trying to wiggle his arms next to him. He nearly cursed at their situation. There was no response to Sokka’s demand. Kallik tried to calm his breathing as he struggled against the bonds.

“Can’t you burn the ropes or something?” Katara whispered.

“Not without burning you guys,” Kallik replied, tugging hard on the ropes.

He wasn’t sure how long they had been tied there, left to their own thoughts, before a gruff, commanding voice got his attention.

“You have some explaining to do,” the man said, seriously. “How dare you bring a firebender into our midst.”

“You’re going to answer all our questions,” a girl continued when the man stopped speaking. “If you don’t, we’ll throw you back in the water with the Unagi.”

“The what?” Kallik asked, still trying to free himself. He couldn’t get the image of that giant fin out of his head.

“Show yourselves, cowards!” Sokka shouted. Kallik squinted as the blindfold was ripped off his face, eyes adjusting to the light.

“Who are you?” Sokka asked, incredulously. Kallik noticed they were tied to a thick, wooden pole. He wondered if he could heat his hands up enough to burn through the rope without creating a flame. “Where are the men who ambushed us?”

Kallik craned his head around to get a look at their captors. A group of women in white face paint and heavy green dresses all stared back them. Among them stood an elderly man, garbed in blue furs.

“There were no men,” a woman in front said. “We ambushed you! Now tell us, who are you and what are you doing here?”

“Wait a second,” Sokka said, “there’s no way a bunch of girls took us down.”

“Don’t antagonize the people who are going to feed us to that water monster,” Kallik hissed.

“Too late,” the girl in front said, gripping Sokka’s collar. “The Unagi is going to eat well tonight.”

“No, don’t hurt him!” Katara shouted. Kallik couldn’t see her, so she must have been on the opposite side of the pole from him. “He didn’t mean it. My brother’s just an idiot, sometimes!” The woman sneered at Sokka but let him go.

“It’s my fault,” Aang said. “I’m sorry we came here. I wanted to ride the Elephant Koi.”

“You’re clearly Fire Nation spies!” the old man said.

“No way,” Katara said. “We’re water tribe!”

“Then why do you have a firebender with you?” the man replied. Kallik groaned. Why couldn’t he just waterbend like Katara?

“I’m really bad at it,” Kallik said. “Seriously. Absolutely terrible. No other firebenders in the South Pole. No way to learn how to do it.”

“Kallik,” Aang said, “we’ll find you a master in no time—”

“Not now, Aang,” Kallik said through gritted teeth.

“A firebender at the South Pole?” the girl laughed. “How stupid do you think we are?”

“Wait!” a new voice called. Kallik tried to twist further, but he couldn’t see the newcomer amidst the large group of villagers that were coming to see the commotion.

“Oh, thank the Spirits,” Sokka sighed.

“What?” Kallik asked, before sighing in relief as well at the sight that greeted him.

A man older than his father, but younger than the elder before them, ran up to greet them. He wore thick green clothes. His greying hair was cut short, and his green eyes took them in, widening in surprise.

“Sokka?” he asked. “Kallik? My stars, is that you?”

“Haru!” Sokka said, relieved.

“You know these people?” the elder asked.

“Of course I do!” Haru exclaimed. “This boy is Sokka, Chief Hakoda’s son. And that’s Kallik. He’s Bato’s boy. I’ve seen them every year, ever since they were old enough to join their parents during trades.”

“But,” the girl spluttered, pointing at Kallik. He narrowed his eyes at her. “He’s a firebender!”

“Yep,” Haru said, working at the knot in the ropes. No one stopped him once he spoke up for them. “The only firebender in the South Pole. Apparently he was blessed by Tui.”

“You know about that?” Kallik asked, rubbing his wrists once he was free of his bonds.

“Are you kidding?” Haru laughed. “Bato loves telling the story about his miracle of a son. I heard it every time we saw him.”

“So wait, this is Kyoshi?” Sokka asked, looking around.

“Kyoshi?” Aang asked. “Like Avatar Kyoshi? I know her!” he said, grinning. Kallik smacked his forehead.

“Impossible!” the elder shouted. “Avatar Kyoshi was born on this island four hundred years ago. She’s been dead for centuries!”

“It’s because I’m the Avatar,” Aang said.

“The last Avatar was an airbender that disappeared a hundred years ago,” the girl said, raising an eyebrow.

“That’s me,” Aang said, pointing his thumb at his chest.

“Prove it.”

“Sure!” Aang spun the air around him to form an airball, then sat on it and flew around the group. The group gaped at him.

“It’s true,” the elder said. “You are the Avatar.”

“Now check this out!” Aang said, spinning the marble from earlier between his hands. Kallik stared at him. Was this kid serious?

“Your mouth is hanging open,” Katara muttered, nudging him. Kallik snapped it shut.

* * *

Sokka sighed, staring at the ceiling. Katara was off gathering supplies, Aang was off impressing villagers, and Kallik was off… somewhere. Sokka was bored. There was nothing to do but swim in cold water and watch Aang do a million airbending tricks, which got old after a while. Katara was still mad at him for almost getting them fed to the Unagi-thing, so helping her stock up for their journey was definitely a bad plan. He wished he knew where Kallik was so they could spar.

The floorboards creaked, and Sokka looked at the door, then sat up, stunned at what he saw.

At first, he thought one of the girls from earlier had come into their lodging, but after seeing a white, beaded braid in their hair, he realized it was Kallik.

Kallik in a dress.

Kallik in a dress wearing _makeup._

“Shut up,” his friend said as Sokka howled with laughter. The older boy pulled the fans out of his belt and set them down on the table, then removed the rest of the outfit.

“No, keep it on,” Sokka giggled. “It’s a good look for you.”

“This is traditional garb for a warrior here,” Kallik said, lifting his nose in the air. “All the trainees have to wear it, and—”

“Wait,” Sokka interrupted, holding up his hand. “Trainees? You’re training with a bunch of girls?”

Kallik pinched the bridge of his nose. “Sokka,” he said, “just because your mom and dad are a bit more traditional doesn’t give you the right to act like an idiot. Snow and sea, you’re friends with Koro.”

“Yeah, but Koro isn’t as good a fighter as me or you,” Sokka said. Kallik rolled his eyes and threw his blue tunic on before sitting down at the mirror in their room. He poured water from the jug into the bowl and pressed his fingers against it. Sokka watched as steam started rising from the bowl.

“Yeah, you’re right,” Kallik allowed, “but that could be because her dad stopped her from training as we got older. You know half the reason why my Ice Dodging went so well was because she was my scout, right?”

“Scouting is different from fighting,” Sokka said, stubbornly. “Why are you training with them,” he asked, curiously.

Kallik grabbed a cloth and soaked it in the water before wiping away the makeup on his face. “Because I want to know how they fight. They ambushed us from the trees, Sokka, and they didn’t even make a sound. Doesn’t that make it worth it to learn from them?”

* * *

A few days later, Sokka was still mulling over Kallik’s words. He was still mad he got taken down by girls. I wasn’t that he thought girls couldn’t do anything. All the women in the tribe always repaired the huts in summer. They fished and crabbed whenever the men went for a big catch. They knew where the best places were to gather sea prunes and made all the clothing for the whole village. He knew women were amazing at a lot of things.

Other than Koro, though, he had never known a girl to really fight. Even Katara didn’t do it much, and she was a waterbender. Finding a whole, elite team of women who were trained to protect their village was mind-blowing for him.

It was different for Kallik. His mom was a fighter. Sokka knew that. She was one of the people to take up arms when that Polar bear-dog tore through the village. She was the first one to teach Kallik how to throw a punch. Sometimes, after Kallik had a nightmare about her, he would tell Sokka about how he found her in their hut, holding a knife in her hand. She was a fighter to the bitter end.

Sokka’s mom wasn’t a fighter. She was kind, smart, and amazing, but she never took up a blade as far as Sokka knew. She would shield her children from anything, but she didn’t know how to fight. His dad said that he and Kallik needed to protect her and the other women, because they weren’t warriors and his mom supported that decision wholeheartedly. Meeting these women made him question what he was taught, which was not a comfortable place to be.

Sokka decided to clear his mind by training in the dojo Haru pointed out to him. He wandered to the large building at the edge of the village. Sokka slowly climbed the steps, then halted at the doorway when he saw movement inside.

The girls and Kallik were practicing a coordinated move with their fans. Their leader flicked her eyes in his direction. Sokka walked in, stretching his arms.

“Sorry,” Sokka said, “I didn’t mean to interrupt your dance lesson.” What else could they be doing, moving like that? No one trained to fight that way. He saw Kallik look up at the ceiling, the way he did when he asked Tui to give him strength. Sokka ignored his friend’s antics. “I was just looking for somewhere to get a little workout?”

“Well,” the leader said, “you’re in the right place.” She pressed her lips together as he continued stretching. “Sorry about yesterday. I didn’t know you were friends with the Avatar.”

“It’s alright,” Sokka said, chuckling. “I mean, normally I’d hold a grudge, but since you guys are a bunch of girls, I’ll make an exception. I went easy on you, anyway.”

Kallik pressed the heel of his hand to his forehead, grimacing.

“Oh, thank you,” the girl replied. “A big, strong man like you? We wouldn’t stand a chance.”

Sokka puffed out his chest a little at her words. Finally someone agreed with him. He saw Kallik shaking his head, glancing between the girl and Sokka.

“Yeah, but don’t feel bad,” Sokka said, raising an eyebrow at Kallik. “After all, I’m the best warrior in my village.”

“I beg to differ,” Kallik said, folding his arms over his chest.

“I’ll take you on right here, right now, Kallik,” Sokka said, smugly.

“Why don’t you take me on instead?” the girl asked, leaning forward. Sokka raised his eyebrows. “The best warrior in your whole village? Well, it would be foolish not to see what you can teach us.”

“Oh,” Sokka said, startled. “I mean—”

“Come on, everyone, wouldn’t you like him to show us some moves?” she asked, gesturing to the group. A couple of them giggled and agreed.

“Knock it off, Suki,” Kallik said, crossing his arms over his chest.

“No, it’s okay, Kallik,” Sokka said. He could take this girl. “If that’s what you want, I’d be happy to teach you. Here, stand over here,” he said, moving her back a little. The girl—Suki, followed his directions, smirking a bit. “Now this is kind of hard, but I want you to try and block me.” Suki nodded and waited. Sokka swung his arm into an uppercut, aiming right at Suki’s jaw. A sharp pain in his armpit stopped him, causing him to yelp and step back.

Suki was holding her fan out in front of her, still folded. That thing was _hard._

“Good,” Sokka chuckled, nervously. “Of course, I was going easy on you.”

“Of course,” Suki replied, still smirking.

“Let’s see if you can handle this,” Sokka shouted, swinging his leg in a kick toward her torso. Suki bent and kicked his ankle out from under him, causing him to fall on his back.

Sokka saw red. “That does it!” he shouted, ready to go all out. The second he swung his arm, Suki caught it and spun him back and forth. After a moment he was disoriented, then he found himself hopping on one foot, laughter burning in his ears. He almost fell to the ground when someone caught him.

“That’s enough,” Kallik said. His voice was cold as ice. Sokka looked up at him as he untied his wrist and ankle, giving him his own belt back. _When did that happen,_ Sokka wondered, tying it back around his waist. Sokka glanced up and saw Kallik’s eyes were narrowed. His gold irises sparked angrily at the group behind him. Sokka felt his whole face start to go red.

“What,” he heard Suki ask in a smug voice. “I thought he wanted to teach us.”

Kallik stood further in front of Sokka, then pulled the fans out of his belt and handed them to Suki. He saw the girl raise her eyebrows in surprise.

“I can’t learn from a teacher who would use her power so callously against someone less trained than her,” he said. “I’ll send the uniform back later today.” He spun on his heel and shoved Sokka out in front of him until they were on the path leading away from the dojo.

Sokka had never been more embarrassed in his life. The two walked back to their rooms in silence, Sokka musing and Kallik brooding. When they got there, Sokka sat down on the edge of the bed, processing what just happened.

“Kallik?” he asked. His friend was back in his Water Tribe clothes. Sokka watched Kallik folding up the uniform to return to Suki and the others. He still had the paint on his face.

Kallik looked up and raised an eyebrow, signaling him to continue.

“You—you didn’t have to leave. That—that was my fault. I shouldn’t have insulted her like that.”

She was better than him. She was better than him and he was _jealous._ He was jealous because he was nowhere near that level. He was the best warrior left in the village. He won more often than not when he fought Kallik, and Kallik knew it. Sokka understood how a new move worked after seeing it _once._ He took to fighting like an otter-penguin to water. To find out that out here, in the huge world just outside his door his skill meant nothing? It was an absolute shock. 

Kallik shrugged and looked away. “Come on, Sokka,” he said. “You would have done the same. She was bullying you. Teachers shouldn’t bully.”

“Still—that’s a really good style of fighting,” Sokka said, somewhat amazed. The way she used his own strength against him was impressive. “The fans are a little weird, but—”

“They’re blades,” Kallik said. “They act as a sword and shield, and they’re really good for disarming an opponent. And they—” he cut himself off, looking at the floor.

“What?” Sokka asked.

“They—helped me with my firebending,” Kallik mumbled, folding his arms over his chest.

“What?” Sokka asked. “You found that out in the dojo? In the _wooden_ dojo?”

“It was an accident!” Kallik shouted, throwing his hands up. “Besides, nothing even got scorched. I put the fire out before it did anything. But they—they work on the sparks. The sparks pop out and I fan them away, and they become these bursts of fire, Sokka. I’ve never, ever been able to make fire like that before.”

Sokka thought about the flicker of flame that Kallik could hold in his hand and swallowed nervously. It wasn’t Kallik’s fault that he was scared of firebending. The men who raided the village were terrifying, and Sokka still had nightmares about them. But Kallik would never hurt them. Still, the thought of him making proper flames was a bit disconcerting.

He must not have controlled his expression enough, because Kallik frowned and turned around, hunching in on himself. He sat in front of the mirror to take his makeup off.

Sokka opened his mouth to apologize, but a knock on the door distracted them.

“Come in,” Sokka said. The door creaked open and Suki stood before them, looking at the floor. After a moment she took a careful breath and looked up at him, eyes serious.

“I came to apologize,” she said. “I knew my skill was greater than yours, and I taunted you into a fight. That’s not becoming of the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors. I’m sorry.” Sokka blinked and looked between her and Kallik. The latter was staring at her through the mirror, mouth open in surprise.

“Thank you,” Sokka said, standing up. He watched Kallik’s eyes glancing between them. “But—I’m the one who should apologize,” he said, kneeling on the floor. “I insulted you. You’re an amazing warrior. I—would you teach me?”

“You want lessons from a girl?” she asked, arching her eyebrow.

“I’m sorry. I should have treated you like a warrior,” Sokka said, seriously. “What you did in the dojo showed me that I have a lot to learn. Please, will you take me as your student?”

“We don’t usually teach outsiders, or boys, for that matter,” she said, mulling it over. “But you demonstrated you’re capable and could handle the regimen, like Kallik did when he asked to learn from us.”

Sokka looked up at her with hopeful eyes.

“Alright,” she relented. “But you have to follow all our traditions, and wear the uniform.”

Sokka grinned and looked over at Kallik. “Can Kallik come back, too?”

Suki looked over at the older boy and smiled, hesitantly. “I was hoping he would be willing to reconsider joining us.”

Kallik looked back at them and grinned. “Can I practice more firebending?”

* * *

“I’ve never known a firebender to put his own fires out,” Suki said after Kallik folded his fans back up.

“It was the first thing he taught himself,” Sokka said, still practicing the move Suki had just taught them.

Kallik huffed. Once again, his cousin proved his ability to learn a brand new fighting technique in a _day._ Sokka could be a prodigy when it came to fighting if he would quit getting in his own way.

“Why?” Suki asked.

“We got raided when we were younger,” Kallik said, quietly. “The firebenders were awful, and I don’t want to scare anyone. Not like they did.”

Sokka nodded solemnly. “The thing is, a lot of his firebending is useful. He can boil water and dry things out really quickly. He’s the best one to get the smoker at the right temperature for the fish and seal jerky. But people forget about that if he starts a fire he can’t control.”

“So I just learned to put them out,” Kallik said with a shrug. “Fire just kind of, does what I want it to. I can make it bigger or smaller. I just make it small enough to go out.”

“Girls!” the elder shouted as he skidded to a halt in front of the doors. “Firebenders have landed on our shores! Come quickly!” Suki ran out after him.

“Hey,” Sokka shouted, “we’re not—”

“Let’s go,” Kallik said, running after them. They skirted around the edges of houses until they reached the entrance of the village, where a Fire Nation soldier was waiting astride a Komodo-rhino. Several other soldiers were fanned out behind him. The man was clad in red armor with gold piping, and he regarded them coolly with amber-gold eyes.

“We’re here for the Avatar,” he said, almost in a bored voice. “We will not harm anyone if he is relinquished into our custody.”

When no one came forth, he sighed and waved a hand. “Find him.”

The soldiers spread out through the village, all riding their own Komodo-rhinos. Suki made some quick gestures with her hands, indicating where Kallik and Sokka should place themselves to ambush the soldiers. Kallik and Sokka darted off in opposite directions. Kallik quickly climbed up the side of a building near the leader. He could hear the other Kyoshi Warriors fighting the soldiers that had moved further into town.

When he got to the edge, he saw Suki run towards their leader, dodging his flames as he punched them in her direction. She leapt into the air, ready to strike, but the man’s mount spun around and knocked her away with its heavy tail. Suki fell to the ground, fans knocked out of her hands. Sokka ran in front of her and deflected a flame the man threw their way. Kallik used the man’s distraction to drop from the roof and knock him to the ground.

The man hollered and punched, but Kallik redirected his flames, smothering them when they came too close. The man’s eyes widened in surprise. Then Kallik felt the wind get knocked out of him as he was kicked in the gut. He fell backwards and away, gagging as he tried to recover his breath.

“How did you do that?” the man asked. Kallik struggled to his feet as several other warriors tried to detain the man. With some quick bursts of flame he disarmed them all, knocking them down.

“How did you put out my fire?” he asked, slowly coming toward Kallik, limping a little. Kallik growled and held his fans to his sides, flicking them open.

“The same way I can do this,” he snarled, feeling his fingertips spark. He pressed his fans down hard, causing two slices of flame to barrel towards the other firebender.

The soldier yelled and ducked, falling to the ground. He grunted as he got up, fists wreathed in flame. Kallik swallowed, sliding into a fighting stance.

The man released a quick barrage of punches in the air, and jets of flame flew at Kallik, one right after another. He batted a few away with his fans and smothered others, but there were too many for him to dodge. One caught him in the chest. He cried out and dropped his fans as he was knocked to the ground. His hands immediately went to the leather chest guard to smother the flames before they did any damage.

“How could you betray the Firelord? How could you betray your nation?” the man asked, incredulously.

Kallik rolled back to his feet, his arms held out in fists in front of him. “I don’t serve any Firelord,” he spat. “Never have.”

The man screamed in rage as he threw another jet of fire towards Kallik before it was suddenly vanquished by a burst of wind. Kallik looked to the side and saw Aang holding his staff in front of him. Aang waved Kallik to the side and a wall of wind came up, sliding Kallik back near a building.

“You asked for the Avatar,” Aang said, expression grim, “well here I am.”

“You’re the avatar?” the man asked. “But you’re a child!”

“And you’re an old man, but you don’t see me pointing it out,” Aang said, smirking.

“I’m not old! I’m twenty-seven!” the man spluttered. Aang swung his staff and blew the soldier into the house behind him while he was distracted.

“Kallik,” he called, running over, “are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Kallik said, frowning.

“I was just talking to Katara. They’re after me, Kallik,” Aang said, seriously. “Appa’s all saddled up. We have to leave so they’ll follow us.”

Kallik scooped up his fans and followed Aang back to the air bison, putting out fires as he went. Sokka joined them moments later. As soon as they were all in the saddle, Appa took off. Aang stared dejectedly ahead, gripping the reigns tightly.

“I know it’s hard, but you did the right thing,” Katara said at the front of the saddle. “Those firebenders would have destroyed the whole place if we stayed. Now they’re gonna be okay.”

Kallik frowned, staring at the burning village behind them. The fire was too big for him to smother.

“Aang! What are you doing?” Katara screamed, shaking Kallik from his thoughts. He noticed an orange and yellow figure dive into the water below. For a moment, his heart stopped until he saw the Unagi shoot out from the water, Aang balanced on its head. Somehow, Aang turned the beast towards the village, and managed to make it spray a huge river of water over the burning buildings. Appa dived toward Aang and the monk flipped up, letting Appa catch him as they flew away.

After he climbed up Appa’s side, Kallik and Katara pulled him into the saddle, helping him sit down and dry off.

“I know,” he said. “That was stupid and dangerous.”

“Yeah,” Katara said with a tentative smile, “it was.”

Aang smiled back and scooted closer to Kallik, shivering. Kallik raised an eyebrow at him.

“What?” he asked, teeth chattering. “You’re warm.”

Kallik sighed, looking back down at the island, thinking about the firebender they just encountered. If they were lucky, they’d never run into him again.

Then again, when was Kallik ever lucky?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Writing Notes:
> 
> 1\. That tone of voice Sokka has in the beginning of the episode, when Aang is showing off for Katara? Come on. He’s doing the big brother thing. You can’t convince me otherwise. 
> 
> 2\. Wait. Wait. Let me explain. I love Suki. I love her introduction and her role in this episode, and I genuinely think Sokka had what was coming to him at Kyoshi Island. He was arrogant, cocky, and behaving like a sexist jerk. However, Suki is a teacher. She is the leader of these warriors, and good teachers don’t humiliate people who are weaker than them, in my opinion. She could have given an identical beat down that was less embarrassing, and Sokka still would have gotten the message because he’s a smart guy, and a warrior who respects other warriors. Using cruelty to deliver a message is not the best means to an end. Also, that’s Kallik’s cousin. That’s his best friend. You’re not gonna mess around with his best friend without some ramifications. Sokka would a hundred percent do the same. 
> 
> 3\. Watch this series again. The move Sokka uses on Suki is one of Zuko’s. Every time he sees a new type of fighting, he incorporates it into his own style. He learned so much from Piandao in such a short time because he is a prodigy when it comes to tactics and fighting. I will swear this up and down until I am blue in the face. Sokka is possibly the most useful character in the entire series, meat and sarcasm or not. So for someone who really is that skilled to come face to face with someone infinitely better? That’s gotta be eye-opening. 
> 
> 4\. Mysterious firebender is mysterious. ;-)
> 
> Thanks for reading! Please leave a kudos if you were entertained, and a comment to let me know your thoughts. Or, you can always say to me on [Tumblr!](https://hanuko.tumblr.com/https://hanuko.tumblr.com/)


	13. Chapter Twelve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“We don’t hunt alone in winter because it’s dark, cold, and dangerous,” Sokka interjected, rolling his eyes._
> 
> _“And part of why it’s dangerous is because of Amarok,” Kallik said, stubbornly. “And I saw a Shadow Person once—”_
> 
> _“That was midnight sun madness, Kallik,” Sokka said, flatly._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! My goodness, the comments and queries on the last chapter made my week! You all are wonderful. Thank you so much!
> 
> Here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy it!

The last few days were awful, in Sokka’s opinion. The disaster at Omashu with the delivery system was terrifying. Meeting the king afterward was _worse._ Encasing them in crystal for tests? Just to tell Aang that he was his old friend from a hundred years ago? Sokka shuddered. It was not pleasant for any of them. Kallik still wouldn’t talk about it. The crystal moved the farthest along for him. The last piece of crystal covered his eyes just as Aang answered the mad king’s question. He didn’t speak for a full day after they were broken out.

At their next stop, Katara kept making an _oogie_ face at that Haru kid. Sokka rolled his eyes but let her go off to flirt with him. He wasn’t her keeper after all, and she was getting much better at waterbending to defend herself. Okay, maybe he watched them from far away, just to make sure she was safe. She didn’t need to know about it. Letting her get imprisoned on that ship was probably the craziest thing he’d ever done, though. His mom would kill him if she ever found out. When he told his cousin this, Kallik merely agreed and suggested they leave this bit out when they told the story. Katara smacked them both.

Other than those incidents, it had been smooth sailing. A couple of people side-eyed Kallik, but the things that drew attention to him at the South Pole (his skin and eyes) blended in with a lot of different people in the towns they came across. It seemed like the biggest reason people stared was because Kallik’s face didn’t match his clothes. Sokka wondered if they would be better off if Kallik wore some Earth Kingdom garb. It was hard to figure out where to get some, or how to even bring the idea up to Kallik.

This though? The new sight that greeted them awful.

There was a massive, black scar on the land, cutting between two green hills. Landing in the mess was devastating for everyone. Sokka moved ash with his foot, frowning at the destruction around them. Kallik had sat down to pray once they realized what happened here. The Fire Nation had come through and purged this beautiful place of all life. It was monstrous, and Sokka couldn’t see the reason anyone could be so cruel. Aang sat in front of a charred log, despondent. Momo curled up in his lap to comfort him.

“Are you ready to be cheered up?” Katara called.

“No,” Aang replied. Something whizzed past Sokka’s ear and hit Aang in the head. “Ow! How is that supposed to cheer me up?”

“Well, it cheered me up,” Sokka laughed, but was pelted as well.

“Hey!” Sokka looked over to Kallik to see he was rubbing the back of his head and pouting at Katara.

“These acorns are everywhere, Aang,” she said, holding her hand out to the boy. He examined the seed she gave him. “That means the forest will grow back! Every one of these will be a tall oak tree someday, and all the birds and animals that lived here will come back.”

Aang smiled up at her. “Thanks, Katara.”

Suddenly, Kallik stood up, hand on the hilt of his machete. Sokka followed suit, glaring at the figure coming towards them.

“Who are you,” Sokka asked, gripping his boomerang. Once they were close enough, Sokka realized it was an old man, dressed in green robes. He carried a walking stick.

“I saw the flying bison,” the man said in awe, approaching Aang, “I thought it was impossible. Those markings, though—are you the Avatar, child?”

Aang glanced at Katara who nodded in encouragement. Aang looked back at the man.

“Yes, I am.”

“My village needs your help,” the man said. Kallik relaxed his grip on his weapon. Sokka put his boomerang away and folded his arms over his chest, watching them thoughtfully. Aang agreed to find out what the problem was, and together, they took the long walk back to the village. It was almost sunset by the time they arrived. Sokka let out a low whistle at the destruction around them. Most of the huts had their roofs torn off.

The old man led them into a large lodge that was full of villagers settling in for the night.

“This young person is the Avatar,” the man said, solemnly.

The village leader came to greet them and told them about Hei Bai, the Black and White Spirit. The monster had been attacking for three days straight, stealing people from the village. When Sokka asked why it was attacking them, none of them could come up with an answer. After Aang agreed to help them, Katara pulled him aside. Kallik and Sokka followed them.

“You seem unsure of this,” Katara said, nervously.

“I don’t really know anything about the Spirit World,” Aang said, miserable. “It’s not like there’s someone to teach me this stuff.”

“Can you help them?” Katara asked. Aang shrugged.

“I have to try, don’t I?” he asked. His face lit up. “Kallik, you’re spirit-touched!” he exclaimed. Kallik raised an eyebrow at him. “Can you teach me about the Spirits?”

Kallik let out a startled laugh. “Aang, I barely know what Tui’s blessing means, and I’ve been living with it my entire life.”

“But you know a little about Spirit stuff,” Aang said earnestly.

“I know a little about water Spirit stuff. Like Amarok. Or the Shadow People.”

“Kallik, don’t,” Katara said, rubbing her arms. “I hate those stories.”

“Why?” Aang asked, curiously.

“They don’t end well for people,” Kallik shrugged. “But they teach us great lessons! Amarok only comes at night if you’re foolish enough to leave your shelter to hunt. That’s why we don’t hunt alone in the winter.”

“We don’t hunt alone in winter because it’s dark, cold, and dangerous,” Sokka interjected, rolling his eyes.

“And part of why it’s dangerous is because of Amarok,” Kallik said, stubbornly. “And I saw a Shadow Person once—”

“That was midnight sun madness, Kallik,” Sokka said, flatly.

“I hardly ever get midnight sun madness, Sokka, and I could only see that thing out of the corner of my eye!” Kallik said, throwing his hands up. “I had wandered too far from the village, remember? I had gone too far, and it was there, waiting for me! It was just like the stories!”

“Was it there to try to bring you back home?” Aang asked, smiling. Kallik gave him a stricken look.

“Stop,” Katara said. “I mean it, Kallik, stop it. Hei Bai is not going to be like that.”

“It kidnaps villagers, Katara. What else could it be like?”

“How do you deal with a Shadow Person?” Aang asked.

“You run away,” Kallik replied, “and hope it doesn’t come after you.”

Sokka repressed a shudder. He was not about to let Kallik know he was scared by some Spirit tale.

Aang sighed. “Maybe whatever I have to do will just… come naturally.”

“I think you can do it, Aang,” Katara said, encouraging him. Sokka sighed.

“We’re gonna get eaten by a Spirit monster.”

* * *

“We can’t sit here and cower while Aang waits for some monster to show up,” Sokka growled. Kallik’s eyes never wavered from Aang’s retreating form. He was near the entrance of the village now.

“If anyone can help us, the Avatar can,” the old man said behind them.

“He still shouldn’t have to face this alone,” Sokka said, stubbornly. It was true. Aang may be the Avatar, but he was just a kid. It baffled Kallik that the villagers couldn’t see that. 

They watched from the window as Aang spun his staff, then walked away from the gate. Kallik paled at shifting of air behind his friend. A large, black and white beast with a mouth full of sharp fangs lumbered after Aang. Aang turned to speak to it, but the monster reared up, roared, and smashed the nearby buildings, moving as quick as a flash.

“We have to help him!” Sokka shouted.

“Only the Avatar can act as the bridge between the human and Spirit worlds,” the old man said.

“Aang will figure it out, Sokka,” Katara said. Kallik winced as Aang was tossed into a nearby building, wondering if her faith in his abilities was misplaced.

“That does it,” Sokka growled, running towards the double doors and going outside. Kallik was right on his heels.

“Sokka! Kallik!” Katara shouted through the window.

“He needs help, Katara,” Kallik shouted back, pulling out his knife and machete. Sokka threw his boomerang at the Spirit, only for it to bounce off and fall to the ground. He growled and ran over to Aang.

“Sokka,” Aang shouted, “you have to go back!”

“We’ll fight it together, Aang,” Sokka said, seriously.

“We can’t leave you here alone,” Kallik added when he joined them.

“I don’t want to fight him unless—”

Quick as lighting, the Spirit appeared behind them and grabbed Sokka, running out of the village. Kallik dropped his weapons and grabbed Hei Bai’s side, clinging to his fur. The monster tore through the woods. Kallik gripped the fur tightly, trying to maneuver himself so he could get to his cousin.

“Sokka!” he shouted. Sokka was struggling in the beast’s hand, reaching back toward Kallik. Kallik couldn’t remove his hand to grab Sokka without falling off. He saw an orange flash out of the corner of his eye. Aang was gliding around them, trying to find a way to get them.

“Help!” Sokka shouted.

“Sokka, hang on!” Aang said. He hovered over Kallik for a moment, but Kallik shook his head.

“Worst comes to worst, I can let go,” Kallik yelled. “Go get Sokka!”

Aang moved past Kallik towards the monster’s paws. Kallik watched him reach out to Sokka before he was suddenly surrounded by an odd, amber light. Aang disappeared, and the ground rushed up to meet him. He landed hard and rolled a few times before skidding to a stop. He laid flat on his back for a minute, gasping for air. 

He managed to sit himself up with a groan, peering around to figure out where he was. The world was amber gold. Strange plants and trees were growing all around him. Hei Bai was nowhere to be found.

“Sokka?” Kallik asked, getting to his feet. He looked around, panicked. He couldn’t see his cousin anywhere. “Sokka!”

“Relax, little prince,” a voice said behind him. Kallik whirled around, his fists up and ready. Nothing was there.

“Too slow,” the voice said again, over his shoulder. Kallik shouted and spun again, still not seeing anything. He felt his heart start to race.

“Where are you?” he yelled, eyes scanning the area around him. “Come out and face me!”

“Alright,” the voice said, right in his ear. Kallik gasped and stumbled forward, only to be caught by his belt and righted before something twisted him around.

He came face to face with the oddest creature he had ever seen. It stood upright, like a man, and its skin was a mixture of red, yellow, and orange. It wore a long robe that was covered in intricate leaf designs, and carried a long wooden staff, similar to Aang’s. The sun glinted off of the crown of its smooth, round head, and its eyes were huge and grey, like a storm cloud.

“You should see your face!” the person thing said, grinning madly and revealing a mouthful of very strong teeth. Kallik swallowed and tried to catch his breath again. “Oh, why so serious?” it asked.

“I…” Kallik swallowed again and felt a sudden tightness in his throat. He didn’t even know what this thing _was._ Sokka was gone, he was lost, and he came face to face with a technicolor nightmare who was grinning maniacally at him. Sokka was right. He was about to get eaten by a spirit monster. Kallik blinked a few times and set his jaw, trying to contain his fear.

The smile slipped off the thing’s face, quickly replaced with a curious expression. It tilted its head, examining Kallik. Kallik felt his eyes start to water and sniffed sharply to keep from crying. The creature’s face fell.

“Oh no!” it said, frantically waving its hands. “No, don’t be sad, please? I’m sorry, I was just having some fun!” it begged. It put its hands on Kallik’s shoulders, making him flinch. The staff stood beside it, unmoving.

“I promise, I won’t hurt you,” it said, voice low and calm.

“What are you?” Kallik whispered. The creature released him and pulled the staff to itself, releasing a gust of wind.

“I’m the Autumn Lord!” it replied, wearing a huge grin on its face. Kallik furrowed his brow. He heard Aang refer to the Autumn Lord before, hadn’t he?

The Autumn Lord looked at him curiously. “Oh right,” it said, snapping its fingers. “I forgot. Water Tribe, right?” Kallik nodded dumbly in response.

“Of course,” it said. “I’m the Lord of Storms.”

Kallik gaped before falling to his knees and bowing his head. The Lord of Storms could both harm and protect, depending on his mood. The tribe often asked for protection from him when they men would go on a long trade or fishing trip. Kallik had prayed to the Lord of Storms for a full month after his father left, begging for his safe transport.

“Now, now,” the Spirit said, tilting Kallik’s chin up. “None of that. Come on, stand up.” Kallik pulled himself to his feet but bowed his head.

“I’m sorry, great Spirit, for not—for insul—”

“You Water Tribe are too serious,” The Lord of Storms said, flipping his legs up so he was sitting, cross-legged in midair. Kallik gaped at him for a moment. “How is it an insult to ask my name?”

“I—I didn’t recognize it?” Kallik replied, his voice cracking. He cleared his throat.

“Well of course you didn’t!” the Spirit replied. “You’re Water Tribe. If you were from the Earth Kingdom, I would have said I was the Great Harvest Spirit. I just got you mixed up, little prince.”

“I’m—I’m not a prince,” Kallik replied, shaking his head. The Lord of Storms cocked his head in a bird-like fashion.

“My mistake,” he said slowly, making Kallik shiver. “Come on!” He dropped his feet back to the ground and grabbed Kallik’s wrist, pulling him along a path. Kallik stumbled after him but did not pull away from his grip.

“Where are we going?” Kallik asked, looking back behind him. He still had to find Sokka in this mess.

“Someone wants to meet you!” The Lord of Storms replied. The foliage had gotten thicker as they ran, until Kallik felt twigs snag against his hair and arms. The light he had seen before had gotten dimmer as the trees thickened overhead. They were running so fast Kallik had to throw an arm across his eyes to protect his face. Kallik looked over his arm to see a spot of light in front of the Lord of Storms get very bright before they suddenly burst through.

Kallik gasped and fell to his knees, squinting. The light was so bright it made his eyes burn.

“Breathe, my child,” a smokey voice said. A hand touched the back of his head. “Breathe and relax. You are of fire. My light cannot hurt you.”

Kallik took a careful breath and blinked his eyes open, gasping at what he saw. Beneath his feet was smooth, black stone that was so glossy it showed his reflection. The walls surrounding him were different shades of blue touched by gold and red. In front of him stood the tallest man Kallik had ever seen.

The top of Kallik’s head couldn’t have gone further than the bottom of his chest. He had smooth amber skin and bright gold eyes. He wore red robes that were covered in golden suns. His hair was long and black, and tied in an elaborate knot at the top of his head. The man smiled kindly at him, and Kallik felt warm. The little flame behind his heart flickered in recognition.

“Agni?” Kallik breathed. The Great Spirit gently put his hands on Kallik’s shoulders before pulling him into a hug. Kallik felt warmth flood through him. He hadn’t been hugged like that since his father left. The feeling of being this safe and protected cracked his heart open. He squeezed his eyes shut as tears slipped down his face.

“I know, little one,” Agni said, patting his head. “You have gone through much hardship.”

“Why?” Kallik asked.

“Because of human whims,” Agni said, bitterly. “Because I made the mistake of giving you to a man who had no love in his heart.” The Great Spirit sighed as he pulled away. “Thankfully, my sister took you to those who did, and her lover granted you the skill to survive polar winters.”

“Tui,” Kallik said, gazing at Agni. The Spirit smoothed a hand over his beard. “She blessed me. What did she do?”

Agni grinned. “She made you feel my light through her,” he replied. “It really was quite clever. Any firebender could do this, if they opened their minds to the possibilities. Tui just gave you some assistance.” He ran a finger down the white braid in Kallik’s hair.

“Agni, I need help,” Kallik said, starting to fall to his knees. Agni caught him to keep him upright.

“No, my child. You do not need to kneel to me, here,” he said, chuckling. “What do you need help with?”

“Sokka,” Kallik said, desperately. “He’s trapped here, somewhere. Hei Bai took him. I was hanging onto him, I know it, but somehow he must have shaken me loose,” Kallik rambled on. “Then the Lord of Storms grabbed me and brought me here. He—where’d he go?” Kallik looked around, just realizing the Lord of Storms was absent.

“They come and go as they wish,” Agni said, shrugging. “The Autumn Lord has always been whimsical, but they very seldom give bad counsel.”

“They?” Kallik asked, confused.

“Neither a man, nor a woman,” Agni said, kindly, “and yet, somehow both. They believe that constraints of femininity and masculinity are ludicrous. They are what they are, as air is what it is.”

Kallik gaped at the Great Spirit, unsure of what to say.

“It’s a very difficult concept for humans to grasp, little one,” Agni said, tucking his hands into his sleeves. “As for your friend, are you certain he’s here?”

“I—“ Kallik swallowed, shaking his head. “I don’t know. He was in Hei Bai’s hand, and I was on his back, and somehow I wound up on the ground.”

Agni nodded. “You were not Hei Bai’s target. The brother of your heart will be in the fog of lost souls.”

“We have to get him!” Kallik begged. “I have to save him.”

“Hush,” Agni said. “As we speak, the Avatar is leaving the Spirit World. He will know what to do to save you and your friend.”

“What?” Kallik asked blinking.

“And when he does, our time will be finished here. I need to share something with you, my child.”

Kallik stared at him for a moment before giving him a hesitant nod.

“You do not understand it yet, but you are using my gift the way it was meant to be used,” Agni said, gravely. “Fire is life. Though it can cause great destruction, it can also bring creation into the world. Fire is warmth, and light, and love. It protects. It empowers.”

“It burns,” Kallik replied, frowning. “It maims. It kills.”

“So does water. So does air. So does earth,” Agni said, spreading out his arms. “Every element has the capacity for life and death. Humans must find the balance.”

“How can I find balance?” Kallik asked, desperately. “I’m wrong. I’m not water, and I’m not fire either.”

“You are both, Kallik,” Agni said, kindly. “You are both, and because you are both, you can do things no other firebender could think of. Do not fear your gift. It is a blessing. It always will be, as long as you remember who you are.”

Kallik looked at his hands, wondering at the Spirit’s cryptic words. They trembled.

“I’m no good at it.”

“You will be, if you do one thing,” Agni said, softly.

Kallik looked up at him, eyes wide and pleading. “What?”

“Breathe.”

* * *

Kallik gasped and shot up, looking around wildly. He was surrounded by bamboo. He groaned and grabbed his head, pulling himself up. He stumbled out of the thicket, squinting at the bright morning light.

He was back at the village. Kallik rubbed his eyes. When he pulled his hands down, he felt something smack into his torso. His arms moved reflexively around the girl who was hugging him.

“Katara?”

“Kallik,” she said, face pressed into his tunic, “I was so scared!” She pulled away, eyes watery. She looked over his shoulder and grinned. “Sokka!”

Kallik whirled around as she ran away from him to her brother. She pulled him into a tight hug. Kallik walked back to join them, relieved that his friend was okay.

“What happened?” Sokka asked, rubbing his head when they let him go.

“You were in the Spirit World for twenty-four hours,” Katara replied. “How do you feel?”

“Like I need to go to the bathroom,” Sokka said, running desperately towards the outhouses just outside the village. Aang joined them and cleared his throat. Kallik looked at him.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t get you away from Hei Bai in time,” he said, seriously. “All the others don’t remember anything, but if you do and something bad happened,” Aang trailed off and looked at the ground.

“It’s alright, Aang,” Kallik said. “Nothing bad happened.”

“Do you remember what happened?” Katara asked, eyes wide. Kallik swallowed then gestured towards the gate of the village. He walked through it, maneuvering through the bamboo trees. Once they were on the other side of the border, Kallik spoke.

“I met Agni.”

“What?” Aang exclaimed, eyes wide. “No way. No way, Kallik! What did you guys do?”

Kallik frowned and held his hand out in front of him. He felt the sparks begging to leap off his fingertips. He took a careful breath in through his nose, and let it out through his mouth.

Flames wreathed his hand, flickering merrily along his skin. Katara squeaked and stepped back, eyes wide. Aang grinned, looking between Kallik’s fire and his face.

“I think he gave me a firebending lesson.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Writing Notes
> 
> 1\. I’ve skipped The King of Omashu and Imprisoned. There are going to be several episodes skipped, the reason being I don’t think they’ll change much, or I’ll be telling a different part of the story. I don’t like retelling something we already know, unless I think it will be important to my story later on. As for Kallik getting his face covered up first by Bumi’s crystal? Well, he’s an unlucky bastard, and surrounding him in rock is like smothering a fire in dirt, so…. Geez, I’m mean to this kid. 
> 
> 2\. The oogie face comes from the comics, and there may be a nod to it in Korra (I’m not sure). Whenever Katara and Aang would act very lovey-dovey to each other, Sokka would say they gave him the oogies. 
> 
> 3\. Amarok is a giant wolf. It’s part of Inuit mythology, and it’s said to go after anyone who hunts alone at night. The Shadow People are a nod to the Ijiraq, which is a shapeshifter. They kidnap children and make people lose their way. Ijiraq are dark, guys. And spooky. Seriously, look into it. It’s really interesting.
> 
> 4\. Sokka is a skeptic, and a man after my own heart. He and Kallik constantly have tiffs about Spirit Stuff. 
> 
> 5\. So, I can’t find the Autumn Lord anywhere in the Avatar Wiki. I can’t find a reference to him/her/they/them in what I’ve seen and read. I can’t even find an equivalent in real world mythology. I have seen them brought up in _so many fanfics_ though. So if they're around and my interpretation is off? I apologize. Send me a link and I’ll see if I’m able to tweak this. In fandom, The Autumn Lord is described as the major deity for the Air Nomads, and they seem like a pretty fun group. So they're a bit of a prankster, but a well meaning one. I gave the Autumn Lord many names because some deities are the same or similar across different cultures, but have different names. I thought that would be fun to play with here. 
> 
> 6\. My whole deal with Tui’s blessing was that it enabled Zuko to not do the impossible, but the improbable. The moon reflects the sun’s light, so Zuko can feel the sun, even at night after it set. His firebending (if he figures it out) won’t get much weaker at night because he can draw some power from the moon. Other firebenders would be able to learn this too, because it’s a technique, not a special power, but they haven’t put themselves in the mindset to figure out how. Zuko hasn’t figured out how, either. Tui was like, “Okay, smol bean. Let me help you with the answer,” and Zuko instinctively knew how to use the moon to feel the sun. 
> 
> 7\. The Great Spirits are keeping tabs on Kallik. They got invested. ;-)
> 
> Thanks for reading! Please leave a kudos if you were entertained, and leave a comment to let me know your thoughts. They are incredibly motivating. Also, feel free to say hi to me on [Tumblr!](https://hanuko.tumblr.com/)


	14. Chapter Thirteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“This is really shaping up to be some birthday,” Kallik shouted, gripping the saddle tightly. Fireballs flew overhead as Appa swerved, dodging them._
> 
> _A blockade. There just had to be a blockade._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!
> 
> Sorry, I planned to have this updated sooner. I moved last weekend and things were HECTIC. I am surprised I survived. But we are in our new home, as settled as we can be for only being here a week, and things finally scooted along well enough for me to sit down and edit this chapter. 
> 
> Thanks for sticking with me, and I hope you enjoy!

“This is really shaping up to be some birthday,” Kallik shouted, gripping the saddle tightly. Fireballs flew overhead as Appa swerved, dodging them.

Aang had tried to sneak away from the village, but Appa wouldn’t let him. When Katara and Sokka told him they were sticking with him, Aang dug his heels in. He didn’t want his friends to get hurt. Kallik reminded him that family helps each other, and he was family now. They couldn’t abandon him. Aang relented, and after they resupplied they set a fast pace across the sea towards the Fire Nation. Unfortunately, trouble struck when they hit the border.

A blockade. There just had to be a blockade.

“It’s your birthday, too?” Aang yelled back, pulling on Appa’s reigns. “I told you guys I didn’t want you to come!”

“We’re not abandoning you!” Sokka screamed, barely holding on. “Now come on, we’re almost through it!”

Appa flew up until they were high over the clouds. Several fireballs burst through in front of them. Two collided right beside the air bison, making him jerk upwards in surprise. Sokka fell out of the saddle from the impact, but Kallik caught his ankle before he could fall too far. He and Katara pulled Sokka back up as Aang maneuvered Appa in and out of the explosions surrounding them. When they dipped below the clouds again, the Fire Navy ships were far behind them. Kallik sighed in relief.

“Is it really your birthday?” Aang asked. Appa had slowed a little, but he was still going an extremely fast pace.

“Yeah,” Kallik said, grabbing some food out of a bag. He handed a sea prune to Momo who took one bite and hissed at it, running around and chittering angrily.

“I can’t believe I almost forgot,” Katara said, reaching into her bag. “I have something for you. Seventeen is a big one.” She pulled out a necklace and set it in Kallik’s hand. Kallik examined it carefully. It had several white spikes of ivory spaced out by blue and black beads. At the front of the necklace was a round piece of caribou bone. It had a beautiful carving of a crescent moon wrapped around a flame. Kallik ran his fingertips over the bone reverently. He recognized this work.

“How did you get this?” he whispered, awed. Katara smiled and gestured for the necklace. Kallik placed it in her hands and wordlessly scooted towards her so she could secure the jewelry around his neck.

“Bato left them with my mom,” Katara said, quietly. “She strung the ivory and the carving with the beads for you. He said it was meant for this year, if he wasn’t back in time.”

Kallik swallowed against the lump in his throat, gently touching the carving. His heart swelled at the thought of his father, and how much time he must have spent making this with Kallik in mind.

“Thank you, Katara.”

She shrugged. “You’ve had a pretty hard time of it lately. We all have,” she chuckled, nudging him. “Your bad luck can’t seem to stop following us around.” Kallik grinned and ducked his head, glad she was able to lighten the mood.

“Huh,” Aang huffed, straightening his shoulders. “I guess those superstitions might be true, then.”

“What superstitions?” Katara asked. Momo went to her and pawed at her bag until she gave him some pieces of fruit.

“In the Fire Nation it’s bad luck to be born on the Winter Solstice,” Aang said. “I gotta say, you’ve run into some really bad luck, Kallik.”

It was true. Throughout their journey, all kinds of bad luck had fallen over them. Granted, Kallik often thought that half the issue was the shenanigans Aang got up to, but the monk told them when he was younger he never got in as much trouble as he did now. 

“Whatever,” Sokka said, shaking his head. “That’s right up there with all the Spirit talk.”

“Sokka, you were just _in_ the Spirt World,” Katara replied, folding her arms over her chest.

“I don’t remember it. I was probably just knocked out and stashed somewhere,” Sokka said, stubbornly.

“Kallik remembers it!”

“Kallik also fell off a giant bear-monster,” Sokka countered, shrugging. “He could have hit his head and had a weird dream.”

“Then why is he better at firebending?”

“Coincidence.”

“Hi, Kallik here,” Kallik interjected, holding up his hand. “I did, in fact, go to the Spirit World. You were in the Fog of Lost Souls, Sokka. That’s what Agni said.”

Sokka rolled his eyes. “Oh really? And what happens in the _Fog of Lost Souls_?” Sokka asked, wailing like a ghost.

“I don’t know, he just said you were there,” Kallik shrugged.

“Come on, Appa!” Aang urged the bison as he started to lose speed. “Don’t slow down now. Yip-yip!”

* * *

It was almost sunset before they arrived at crescent island. Appa landed, and as soon as they dismounted, he flopped on his side and moaned pitifully.

“Aw,” Katara said, rubbing his belly, “you must be tired.”

“No,” Sokka said. His back was to her and he stretched his arms and legs. “I’m good. Refreshed and ready to fight some firebenders.”

“I was talking to Appa,” Katara said, raising an eyebrow. Sokka blinked at her for a moment, blushing a little in embarrassment.

“Well, I was talking to Kallik,” he said, gesturing to the teen who was putting his weapons on his belt.

“No you weren’t,” Kallik replied, straightening his tunic.

Aang led them up the path toward the temple at the base of the volcano. There were no acolytes as far as any of them could see.

“The Fire Nation must have abandoned this temple after Roku died,” Katara said, quietly.

“It’s almost sundown,” Aang said, springing up. “Let’s go!” he shot towards the entrance and the other three chased after him. Their footsteps clattered loudly on the stone floor as they moved. Sokka stopped them.

“Wait, I think I heard something,” he said, turning around. He gasped and Kallik grabbed his machete, spinning around, readying himself to fight. At the doorway were five men dressed in strange, red robes, wearing pointy hats.

“We are the Fire Sages,” the man in front said, a grim expression on his face. “We are the guardians of the temple of the Avatar.”

“Great,” Aang said in relief. “I’m the Avatar!”

“We know,” the leader said, punching a jet of fire at them. Kallik ran in front and clapped his hands together, dispelling the flames.

“Run!” Kallik shouted. Katara and Sokka ran back as Aang pushed a blade of air forward, knocking all the Fire Sages off their feet. Kallik spun around and ran with Aang down the tunnels, chasing after Sokka and Katara’s footsteps.

“This way,” Aang said, pulling Kallik down another tunnel. They ran along the passage until they wound up meeting with the others again, managing to pop out in front of them.

“Come on,” Aang shouted, running further down the tunnel. Sokka and Katara joined Kallik behind him.

“Do you even know where you’re going?” Sokka asked, panting.

“Nope!” Aang replied as he turned a corner. As quickly as he disappeared, he returned, leading them in the opposite direction. “Wrong way!”

“Wait!” Kallik turned his head to see one of the Fire Sages running after them. Unfortunately, Aang led them to a dead end. Kallik gripped his weapon in front of him, ready to fight.

“Wait, please,” the man said, holding his hand out to placate them. “I mean you no harm. I am a friend.”

“Yeah?” Sokka asked, menacingly, “then why are your buddies chasing us?”

The man knelt before Aang and bowed his head. “I know why you are here, Avatar. You wish to speak to Avatar Roku. I can take you to him.”

“How?” Aang asked, disbelief in his tone. The man stood and reached up and moved a lantern to the side, then pushed a small fire blast into a hidden hole. A door unsealed itself and slid open.

“This way,” the Fire Sage said. There was commotion behind them. The others were getting closer. “Time is running out,” the Fire Sage said, desperately. “Quickly!” The four walked into the secret passage. The Fire Sage followed, closing the door behind them. He squeezed his way to the front of the group to lead them through the chambers below.

While they navigated the passages, the Fire Sage—Shyu—explained the pathways were built by Avatar Roku himself. He told them about the connection the sages had with the Avatar and the temples. He mentioned the statue of Roku gave them a sign that Aang returned, as a few weeks ago its eyes glowed. Soon after that, there were sightings. The Fire Sages knew Aang would come to try to communicate with Roku.

“If this is the Avatar’s temple, why did the sages attack me?” Aang asked.

“Things have changed,” Shyu said, sadly. “In the past the sages were loyal only to the Avatar. But when Roku died and the sages eagerly waited for the new Avatar, he never came.”

“They were waiting for me?” Aang asked, forlorn. Sokka put a hand on his shoulder.

“Don’t feel bad,” Sokka said, grinning. “You’re only a hundred years late.” Aang glared at him. Kallik smiled. Aang still wasn’t used to Sokka’s teasing to lighten the mood.

“They lost hope the Avatar would ever return, and began to follow the orders of the Fire Lord. I never wanted to serve him, though. My allegiance has always been with the Avatar. I knew I would have to betray the other sages when you came.”

“Thank you for helping me,” Aang said, bowing. The Fire Sage nodded at him and led them up another path. As they climbed a long, spiral staircase, Shyu explained to Aang how to speak with Roku once he was in the chamber. Finally, he led them up to a secret panel in the ceiling. He pressed his fingers against it and lifted it up and over, then climbed into the room above.

“Oh no,” Shyu gasped.

“What’s wrong?” Aang asked.

“The sanctuary doors are closed.”

“So open it,” Sokka said, raising an eyebrow.

“Only a fully realized Avatar can open this door alone,” the sage said. “It takes five firebenders to open it otherwise. They need to fire five simultaneous fire blasts.”

“Five fire blasts, huh?” Sokka smirked. “I can help you with that.”

Sokka gathered some things from his bag and started putting something together. Kallik raised an eyebrow and squatted down near him. Sokka handed him an animal skin filled with oil and a piece of twine.

“Tie that off, please,” he said as he filled another skin. “This is a trick my dad taught me. I seal the lamp oil inside an animal skin casing. Shyu lights a fuse and ta-da! Fake firebending.”

“You’ve outdone yourself, Sokka,” said Katara. “I’m really impressed.”

“My dad kept telling me your dad had all kinds of crazy ideas like this,” Kallik added. “I can’t believe I’m about to see one in action.”

“This might work,” Shyu said, smiling. They popped a filled skin in each chamber and stood back. Shyu threw a blast of fire at the fuse, and they all plugged their ears as the blasts went off. As soon as the explosion occurred, Aang ran forward through the smoke.

“They’re still locked!” Aang cried. The smoke cleared to reveal him standing at the doors, tugging on a handle. “Now what do we do?”

“This looks just like firebending,” Kallik said, looking at the damage on the doors.

“Why didn’t it work?” Sokka moaned.

“Sokka, this is perfect!” Katara said, snapping her fingers.

“But his plan didn’t even work,” Aang said, bewildered.

“Yeah, it didn’t work,” Katara said, slyly, “but it looks like it did. Here’s what we’ll do.”

Under Katara’s quick guidance, the group hid amongst the statues in the room. Shyu ran out into the hallway and called the other sages.

“Quickly!” Shyu cried. “The Avatar has entered the sanctuary!”

“How did he get in?” the gruff leader from earlier asked as the sages entered the room.

“I don’t know,” Shyu said, helplessly. “But look at the scorch marks!”

“The Avatar must have entered the chamber,” the leader said. “Open the doors, immediately!” At his command, the sages lined up and blasted the locks, causing the mechanism to twist and the doors to swing open.

“Nothing is inside,” the leader said. Kallik ran up and apprehended one of the sages, pulling his arms behind his back. Sokka and Katara did the same, while Momo flew into their faces, distracting them. Shyu grabbed the leader’s arms and forced him to the ground.

“Now, Aang!” Kallik shouted.

“Hurry,” Katara added. “Now’s your chance!”

Aang darted forward, but was stopped by a blast of fire cutting him off.

“Well, well, well, look at what I’ve found, here.”

It was the man from Kyoshi Island. Behind him were several Fire Nation soldiers, ready to fight. The group was startled and the sages managed to twist out of their holds while they were distracted. Kallik found himself being pulled backwards.

“Close the doors,” the man said, folding his arms across his chest. “My father is coming, and we wouldn’t want anything to be amiss for his arrival.”

“Of course, sir,” the leader said. The soldiers took over for the sages and tied Kallik and his cousins to one of the columns behind them. A sharp spike from the dragon the spiraled around it jabbed into his back. As the doors were sliding shut, Momo flew into the firebender’s face, surprising him. Aang darted around the sages and slid through the doors just before they closed. A bright blue light flashed underneath the entryway.

“Open the doors!” the man growled as a solider tied Shyu next to the others. No matter how hard they tried, the firebenders couldn’t get the doors opened.

“It’s no use,” the leader of the sages sighed. “They’re sealed shut. Avatar Roku doesn’t want us inside.” The soldier in red and gold growled and stomped back towards the prisoners. He glared at them a bit before pinching the bridge of his nose.

“It’s no matter,” he said. “The Avatar will have to come out sometime.”

“Son,” a gravelly voice called from the entryway.

“Father,” the man said, smiling. “We almost have the Avatar. His companions are our prisoners. He won’t leave without them.”

Kallik frowned at the new arrival. The man’s father was elderly, had a small stature and a large belly. He smiled at all of them, shrugging almost helplessly.

“I apologize if this is uncomfortable,” the old man said, regretfully. “You see, when there was word that the Avatar reappeared in the world, my Father, Fire Lord Azulon, wanted him brought back to the Fire Nation.”

“You mean captured,” Katara said, snidely. The Fire Nation prince shrugged.

“I cannot say what my father’s will is toward the Avatar.”

Kallik scoffed in response. They weren’t stupid. Suddenly, strong fingers gripped his chin, tilting his face down. Kallik tried to jerk away.

“Look at me,” the old man said, voice firm. Kallik flicked his eyes down to the aging face, taking in long silver hair and pale skin. Amber-gold eyes stared at him, wide and shocked at what he was seeing.

“Can it be?” he whispered, eyes darting all over Kallik’s face. “Is it you? Can it be you?”

“Get your hands of my cousin!” Sokka growled, tugging tightly on the ropes. The old man glanced at Sokka then back at Kallik.

“Cousin?”

“Father, what’s the matter?” the man behind them asked, tilting his head curiously.

“Lu Ten,” the man said, letting go of Kallik’s face and stepping away. “His face, look.” Lu Ten narrowed his eyebrows but examined Kallik nonetheless, but he managed to keep his hands to himself. After a minute or so, he raised his eyebrows.

“Why do you look familiar?” he asked.

“Maybe because I kicked your ass on Kyoshi Island,” Kallik growled.

“You!” Lu Ten shouted, pointing an accusatory finger at Kallik. “You put out my fires! You’re the traitor!”

“Lu Ten, stop!” the old man said, voice quiet but firm. Lu Ten growled but stepped away. “Lieutenant,” he called. A Fire Nation soldier came over. “Release that boy from the others.”

The lieutenant came over and carefully untied Kallik from the column. As soon as his hands were free, he dropped to the floor and swung out his leg, knocking the soldier to the ground. Kallik took a careful breath, and threw jets of fire at the soldiers approaching him. He couldn’t keep up the blasts for long, and he was quickly apprehended again.

“General Iroh?” the lieutenant asked, nervously, as Kallik tried to catch his breath. The old man stroked his beard, thoughtfully.

“Bind his hands with the shackles,” he said. Kallik felt his wrists wrapped with cool metal. He jerked away, but the soldiers had a tight hold on him.

“Take him to the ship,” General Iroh said. “Put him in the spare chambers. We have much to discuss.”

Kallik dug his heels into the ground, pulling tightly against the hands that held him. It didn’t matter. The soldiers dragged him along, and Kallik could do nothing to stop them.

“No!” Katara shouted, struggling against her binds.

“Kallik!” Sokka shouted, mournfully.

“Let me go!” Kallik screamed as he was dragged out the door. “Let me go! Let me go!”

The soldiers ignored his pleas. As the sun fully set, he found himself thrown aboard a metal ship. When they started to pull him below deck, an explosion rocked the boat. Kallik looked up and gaped at what he saw.

A jet of lava shot out of the top of the temple. The other firebenders were fleeing down the path to the ships. Kallik’s eyes were wide with terror. His heart seized in his chest.

“No,” he whispered, pulling forward. “No! Let me go! I have to help them!” he screamed as soldiers pulled him below deck. “No! Sokka! Katara! Aang!”

The last thing he saw was the temple sliding downward before the metal door snapped shut in his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Writing Notes:
> 
> 1\. Well, I didn’t forget Kallik’s birthday. Did you? ;-) And of course Bato left something for him. I’m a little worried it looks too much like a betrothal necklace, so for more detail, the necklace isn’t a choker. It most close resembles a shaman’s necklace. Also, I like the idea of Water Tribe Zuko being represented by the moon and flame together. I don’t know, that’s a headcanon for me. :-)
> 
> 2\. Sokka and Kallik will forever be at odds about spirit stuff. Sokka is very much a skeptic (a man after my own heart), and Kallik has _faith._ He has experienced too much weird bullshit to not believe in spirits and their involvement with humans. Despite this difference of opinion, they are still absolute besties. They just roll their eyes at each other over it and move on. 
> 
> 3\. You all killed me dead two chapters ago. “Lu Ten? Is that Lu Ten? LU TEN!!!!!” I just was cackling like a witch over here. My husband was concerned. Yes. Mysterious firebender was in fact, Lu Ten. And here’s Iroh. And oh boy, Iroh the level-headed guy just lost his shit for a second. 
> 
> 4\. Um… so. I mean. No spoilers or anything, but…. Look at the tags. Breathe with me. We’re gonna have some Kallik/Zuko time now. Things will go back to normal, whatever normal is. Canon Divergence for a reason, and all that. ;-)
> 
> Thanks for reading! Please leave a kudos if you were entertained (or you know... an extra in the comments xoxo) and a comment to let me know your thoughts! And feel free to come holler at me on [Tumblr!](https://hanuko.tumblr.com/)


	15. Chapter Fourteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“You—you think that’s—but it can’t be, Father!”_
> 
> _“Why not?” Iroh asked._
> 
> _“He’s Water Tribe!” Lu Ten said, aghast._
> 
> _“His eyes say otherwise."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys. Moving is hard. Also, entertaining your parents in your new house while you're surrounded by boxes is hard. Also, trying to get a modicum of privacy while you're entertaining your parents, surrounded by boxes is hard. 
> 
> It's been a rough week. -.-
> 
> But the good news is I managed to find a smidge of time to post the latest chapter. Woo-hoo! Hope you like it!

The ship was wrong.

It moved too smoothly through the water. The metal that surrounded him was stark and ugly. The chambers were too warm, all lit with small lanterns, casting the space in an ominous, reddish light. The walls would creak and groan as they sailed along. Kallik sat at the edge of a metal chair next to the table in the center of the room. A few candles sat in the middle of the table, flickering with Kallik’s agitated breaths. The door squeaked open and he straightened his spine, fully alert.

“I’m sorry we can’t be more accommodating,” the old man said as he settled across from Kallik. He set a tray down in front of him. Kallik pulled his wrists, testing the strength of the chain that held him to the table. He had made an escape attempt earlier, and the crew were not inclined to give him very much freedom after that.

“Please, eat,” he continued, uncovering the tray to reveal a silver fish and a bowl of rice. Kallik raised an eyebrow at the food before giving the man a blank look.

“I’m sure you’re hungry.” He picked up some chopsticks and began to eat his rice, like Kallik saw people in the Earth Kingdom use. The chopsticks were too short, though. It was odd to see how different they were compared to the utensils he had seen before. The man flicked his gold eyes up and watched Kallik with a small smile as he chewed his rice.

“It’s not poisoned, if that is your concern.”

Kallik held the man’s gaze for a moment before he turned away and stared out the window. He could see the sun was setting. He spent a full day on this ship, wondering who these people were and why they had taken him. There was a knock on the door.

“Come in,” the man said, warmth coloring his voice. A young soldier entered, carrying a metal pot and two cups. He set them down in front of the man and bowed.

“Your tea, Prince Iroh,” the soldier said. The prince thanked him and the man bowed once more, leaving the room.

“Jasmine tea is very soothing,” he said, pouring two cups. Kallik could see the man place one in front of him out the corner of his eye. The prince took a loud slurp and let out a pleased sigh before he resumed eating his meal. “Would you like to try some?”

Kallik said nothing, staring at the sun as it started to dip below the horizon. It painted the clouds pink and orange as it set.

“The guards told me they found you sleeping on the floor this morning.”

A few birds flew through the clouds. Kallik wondered if they were near land. He wondered if he would see Appa outside this window. He wondered if his family survived.

Kallik swallowed against the lump in his throat.

“If the bed is not to your liking, we can try other arrangements,” the old man said, kindly.

“What happened to them?” Kallik turned back to look the firebender directly in the eye. The man lowered his eyes, frowning at the plate in front of him.

“Did you unchain them, before you ran?” Kallik knew his voice was trembling. “Could they have gotten out?”

The man carefully lifted his head, a remorseful expression on his face.

“I’m so sorry, my boy.”

Kallik stared down at the table, feeling his throat tighten. He wasn’t sure if he could breathe through the pain inside of his chest, begging to be released. He clenched his jaw as his eyes started to water.

“Leave me alone,” he said, in a hoarse voice.

“Very well,” the prince replied. He stood and walked around the table, pausing when he reached Kallik’s side. He raised his hand as if to grip Kallik’s shoulder, but chose against the action and let it fall back down. Kallik kept his head bowed, listening to soft footsteps, the creaking of a door, and the clicking of a latch.

Only then did he put his head in his hands and cry.

* * *

Iroh sighed as he listened to the sobs of the boy in the other room, leaning back against the door. It was no easy thing, to learn your loved ones were gone. He still felt an empty ache in his chest when he thought of his beloved Hoshi. Even if Iroh was right, and this boy was who Iroh thought he was, a new family could not replace those he had grown with. Things would never be the same for that young man.

After a few minutes, the cries on the other side of the door quieted down. Iroh straightened up and moved down the hall. He figured the boy wouldn’t want to see him after he had to deliver such bad news. Iroh hoped he would find another crewmember to take the boy back to his rooms for the night. Perhaps Captain Jee would be available.

Lu Ten appeared in the corridor and waved his father over. Iroh smiled at his son as he approached, still thanking whatever Spirits were watching them that day at Ba Sing Se. The fact that Lu Ten managed to escape that battle with only a limp, when the rest of his battalion had been buried in earth was a miracle. Almost losing his son was enough to open Iroh’s eyes to the state of the world.

The battle was terrible. The earthbenders had surprised him, laying a trap for the troops Lu Ten led against the wall. Most were sucked into the ground. Iroh saw Lu Ten get hit by large pieces of rock and stone. The fact that he was alive and breathing was shocking. He had suffered so much physical trauma that he slept, and _only_ slept. The doctors believed he would never wake. Iroh knew he had to do something to save his son.

Taking a journey through the Spirit World was idiotic and dangerous, but it was well worth it in the end, in more ways than one. Iroh was granted his wish. He recovered his beloved son’s soul and woke him, but in return he had to help restore balance to the world. At first, Iroh didn’t understand what that meant, but the Painted Lady gave him guidance, showing him everything he had been blind to before.

The Earth Kingdom cities his armies took were wasting away. The citizens of the Southern and Nothern Water Tribes stayed closer to their own shores, the former growing weak for fear of Fire Nation raids, and the latter growing stagnant from loss of contact with their sister tribe and the rest of the world. The Painted Lady even showed him her own rivers in his very nation, filled with poison that made their people sick. All this devastation caused by one man’s dream—a dream that turned into a nightmare on the day of Sozin’s Comet.

Iroh’s father was too rooted in the ideals Sozin preached to him. Azulon believed whole-heartedly that the Fire Nation was meant to share their ideas and prosperity with the world, even if that meant by force. The ends would justify the means, and peace would reign eternally. There would be no more wars in the Earth Kingdom. The bands of rebels and pirates that raided all shores would be disbanded. The Water Tribe would lose fewer people to senseless deaths because of the conditions at the poles. Iroh believed it once, too. He knew better now, though, and was slowly passing along the secrets of the While Lotus to his son without him knowing. He hoped one day he would fully break his boy from the poisoned politics of their nation.

“Father,” his son greeted. Iroh gazed up at the man, wondering—not for the first time—how he got so tall. Perhaps Iroh was being generous, though. He was as tall as the boy in the other room, and that young man was still growing. If Iroh was right, he would end up taller than the two of them, much like Azulon and Ozai were.

“Lu Ten,” Iroh replied, nodding his head. “Would you like to join me outside?” Lu Ten agreed and together they went above deck. Lu Ten followed Iroh to the railing, and each settled their hands against it, watching Agni’s eye dip below the horizon.

“Father,” Lu Ten said, almost hesitantly. Iroh tilted his head in acknowledgment and Lu Ten continued. “I don’t understand why we took that boy.”

Iroh let out a quiet chuckle. “I supposed I was a bit brash, wasn’t I?”

“It’s not like you.”

Iroh looked down at the waves splashing against the ship. “Do you not see it, Lu Ten?”

“See what?” his son asked. Iroh glanced at him and saw he was arching an eyebrow.

“The resemblance.” Lu Ten stared at him blankly. “If you can imagine his hair in a topknot, who does he look like to you?”

“He would look like a boy with a topknot, Father,” Lu Ten said, furrowing his brow. Iroh suppressed the urge to sigh.

“Perhaps time has changed his face too much for others to see, but I remember Ozai at that age,” Iroh said, staring back out at the sea. “And Azula is close to that age now. I know that face.”

Lu Ten released the railing. Iroh looked at him again and saw his son was gaping at him with wide eyes. His eyebrows had nearly climbed to his hairline.

“You—you think that’s—but it can’t be, Father!”

“Why not?” Iroh asked.

“He’s Water Tribe!” Lu Ten said, aghast.

“His eyes say otherwise,” Iroh countered.

“It’s not possible,” Lu Ten insisted, stubbornly.

“He is the spitting image of Ozai,” Iroh pressed. “He has my father’s eyes. I believe with my whole heart that we have found Prince Zuko.”

Lu Ten shook his head, clearly stunned. “But Father, he was a baby when he disappeared. How could he have ended up with the Water Tribe? How could he have survived at all?”

“Because fire is stubborn,” Iroh said, smiling. “Fire is life. We never found a body, Lu Ten. It’s been years, yes, but my heart knows him. Yours does too, if you listen to it. He is family.”

“Zuko,” Lu Ten breathed, blinking rapidly. “Father, we can’t bring him back claiming he’s Uncle Ozai’s missing son unless we _know_. Aunt Ursa’s heart couldn’t take it.”

Iroh stroked his beard thoughtfully. “You’re right, son. We need more information. Unfortunately, he’s not very willing to talk with me.” Iroh folded his hands inside his sleeves. “I brought him devastating news. He has gone through heartbreak, and believes he is all alone in this world.”

Lu Ten looked solemn for a moment before a soft smile graced his features. “I think I could get his mind off of it.”

Iroh raised his eyebrow at his son’s words. “What do you have in mind?”

* * *

Kallik leaned despondently against the metal wall behind him, staring blankly at the Fire Nation tapestry that hung on the wall in front of him. His arms were chained to a bedpost, and he was given enough of a leash to wander around the space if he wished. Kallik did not embrace this freedom, and sat on the ground with a breaking heart.

They were gone. Sokka, Katara, and Aang were taken from him just like his mother. For all he knew, his father had been lost, too. They hadn’t heard from the fleet for a full year before they left with the Avatar. Kallik was alone. He was all alone on this steel death trap sailing to who knew where, and no one— _no one_ —would come for him. Because they were _gone._

He blinked in surprise. There were tears on his cheeks. He growled in frustration and quickly wiped his face. Crying wouldn’t fix anything. All it would do was show weakness to his enemy. He wouldn’t do that. He couldn’t. He had his pride.

It seemed like that was all he had, now. 

Kallik lifted his head and sat up straight at the sound of knocking at his door. He closed his eyes and sensed the sun slowly rising into the sky. He had been up all night. His stomach growled and he pressed his chained hands against it, grimacing. He had gone longer without food before. He could ignore it.

The door whined as it swung open, and the soldier from Kyoshi Island—the one who chained his family to the column to begin with—strolled in. Kallik huffed and stared at the floor. The man apologized last night before he went to sleep, offering his condolences. Kallik ignored him then, too.

“Slept on the floor again?” he asked, jovially. Kallik said nothing in response. The man loomed over him, right into his personal space. Kallik barely refrained from flinching.

“Hmm, judging by the bags under your eyes I would say you stayed up all night, instead,” he said, clicking his tongue and shaking his head. He settled himself on the floor across from Kallik. Kallik huffed at the words, shifting a little.

“Well, come on,” the man said, folding his arms across his chest. “Let me have it.”

Kallik raised an eyebrow in response, wondering what this firebender could be getting at.

The man sighed, dejectedly. “Well you must have plenty of things you want to get off your chest,” he said. “About what happened at Crescent Island, or where we could be taking you, or if there’s any chance you can bathe because it’s been days, or—”

Kallik furrowed his brow as the man went on, then tilted his head towards his chest and armpit, sniffing discretely. He grimaced.

“—and I told Father it was a bad idea to just bring you along, but once he’s got his mind made up it’s hard to change it. That kooky, tea-loving nut.” The man shook his head, laughing at his own words. He met Kallik’s gaze again. “You know, I don’t remember if I introduced myself. I mean, I usually don’t have to,” his tone became smug as he rambled on. Kallik’s eye started twitching, “but considering you’re some peasant from the South Pole, I suppose I should inform you of my na—”

“Do you ever stop talking?” Kallik asked through gritted teeth. This man was getting on his last nerve.

“Spirits,” the man breathed, face pulled in a dramatically shocked expression, “he can speak! He has a voice and tongue and can even make words!” The man pressed his hands against his cheeks, leaning forward. “Thank you for blessing me with the gift of conversation.”

Kallik growled, baring his teeth. The man held up his hands in surrender, still chuckling.

“I’m Lu Ten,” he said. He settled his hands on his knees, smirking at Kallik. “I’m not going to force you to give me your name, but if you don’t, I’m sticking with Water Tribe peasant.”

Maybe it was the man’s candid nature. Maybe it was the way he acknowledged his responsibility for the tragedy Kallik had just suffered. Maybe it was because he rambled insistently like Sokka which gave him an odd sense of familiarity. Regardless of what it was, Kallik started to relax in this firebender’s presence. He looked at the floor again, shifting his weight. He just noticed how stiff his hips and spine felt. He wasn’t sure if he had ever been this tired.

“Kallik,” he said, quietly.

Lu Ten hummed curiously. Kallik looked up and saw him furrowing his brows, leaning closer towards him. “I’m sorry?”

Kallik cleared his throat. “My name is Kallik.”

The firebender gave him a soft smile. “Thanks for telling me,” he said. “I know it’s hard to trust us, and I don’t blame you, but we’re going to be traveling together for a while, and your cooperation would be helpful.”

Kallik scoffed in response, looking at the wall.

“What can I do to earn your trust?” Lu Ten asked. His tone was almost eager. Kallik said nothing. The two sat in silence for several minutes, only broken by a loud rumble from Kallik’s stomach. Lu Ten arched an eyebrow, but Kallik refused to acknowledge it. They sat together that way for some time, the silence broken by groans from the ship and growls from Kallik’s gut.

Kallik was surprised Lu Ten’s patience. He held out for half an hour before he stood, stretched, and left the room. After the door swung shut, Kallik let his head fall back against the wall behind him with a heavy thud, staring listlessly at the ceiling above him. His eyelids felt so heavy. Maybe he could close them for just a few minutes.

Just as his eyes drifted shut, his stomach growled again, causing him to grimace. Even though he _had_ gone longer without food before, he was still terribly uncomfortable.

A quick knock on his door startled him and he sat up. Lu Ten came back in with a small tray. He walked over to Kallik and lowered the tray, revealing a bowl of rice, something that Kallik swore were eggs (though how they were folded in a perfect oval, he didn’t know), grilled fish, and a bowl of some kind of soup.

Lu Ten bowed curtly and sat down as another soldier entered Kallik’s room, carrying two small cups and a teapot. The man set a cup in front of each of them and poured them each a cup of some brownish liquid (Kallik assumed it was tea) before bowing and leaving them. Lu Ten picked up his cup and sipped it before setting it down. Then he picked up a pair of chopsticks and ate a piece of food from the tray. Kallik furrowed his brow.

“What?” Lu Ten asked with a shrug. “I missed breakfast and I trained before coming here. I figure if you decide not to eat it, I won’t let it go to waste.”

Kallik frowned and looked back at the tray, noticing a second pair of chopsticks. His mouth watered slightly at the smell of warm food and he swallowed reflexively. When his stomach gave one more terrible growl he gave in, carefully picking up the chopsticks and bowl of rice. He started eating, entirely focused on inhaling the food in front of him.

He was so intent on filling his stomach that he failed to notice the relieved smile that appeared on Lu Ten’s face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Writing Notes:
> 
> 1\. Poor Kallik. All hungry and tired and kidnapped. I’m a terrible person. Do I need to add a whump tag?
> 
> 2\. So, I love the idea of Lu Ten being this mixture between a rich frat boy and a really nice guy. Like, I see him as this dude that no one has forced to self-reflect, so he’s caught in his own world of “of course I’m right. Why wouldn’t I be?” For those of you who have seen the Dragon Prince, his personality is modeled a bit after Soren.
> 
> 3\. I also like the idea that Lu Ten is an annoying shit to get a rise out of people. ;-)
> 
> Thanks for reading! Please leave a kudos if you were entertained, and a comment to share your thoughts. They’re the only recognition I get for this, and they are extremely motivating, not gonna lie. Feel free to visit me on Tumblr. I’m [@hanuko](https://hanuko.tumblr.com/) and would love to hear from you!


	16. Chapter Fifteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“It is very beautiful.” Kallik startled and looked beside him, seeing the old man smiling as he stood next to him._ Prince Iroh, _Kallik remembered. The prince was staring at the necklace Kallik wore. The teenager glared and gripped the carving, hiding it from view._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys....
> 
> This has over 1000 kudos....
> 
> I... my heart....
> 
> Thank you so much!!! I've never gotten so many kudos for anything else I've written/posted. You are all so wonderful, and I really appreciate it. Thanks again!
> 
> Without further ado, here is the next chapter.

Iroh furrowed his brow, bemused at the news he just heard as his son sat before him.

“And he is resting now?”

“Yes Father,” Lu Ten replied, tiredly. “I convinced him to drag the blankets and pillow off his bed. He’s made himself a little nest so he can sleep against the wall.”

Iroh hummed thoughtfully. “The terrain at the poles is very harsh, and the lifestyle is hard. Perhaps he faced some danger in his past, or maybe the closeness of the tribe makes him weary of sleeping on his own.”

“Or maybe he was just kidnapped and thrown on a hostile ship in chains?” Lu Ten replied, arching his brow.

“Son,” Iroh admonished, “you know that I have that boy’s best interests at heart.”

Lu Ten chuckled. “Father,” he said, relaxing into his seat, “I’m sure you do. But you know better than I do that this is a hostile situation, to him. I’m the hothead, remember? Not you.”

Iroh laughed softly. “Yes, Lu Ten, you’re right. I know this must be hard for him. I wish I knew a way to make it easier. I want him to trust us.”

Lu Ten arched his eyebrow. “Well,” he said, straightening up a little, “I might have an idea.”

“Oh?”

“You’re not going to like it,” Lu Ten warned, frowning.

“Well, how bad can it be?” Iroh asked, smiling.

“It could be devastating,” Lu Ten said, in a serious voice. Iroh raised his eyebrows, but gestured for him to go on.

“I’m only suggesting this because of how far away from shore we are.”

* * *

Kallik blinked his eyes open blearily and yawned, rubbing his face. After he woke that morning, the soldiers politely greeted him and took him out of his room, leading him by his chains up to the deck so he could get some sunlight. Kallik found himself wishing he were closer to the water. Sitting at the beach always calmed his nerves back home. His hands twitched, and he idly wondered if he would be able to get some rope or a knife and wood to whittle.

_Yeah right,_ he thought. If they gave him anything he could potentially use against them, he would eat his boots. Kallik sighed as the soldier pulling his lead paused by the railing of the ship. He raised his face toward the sun. It was nice to feel it’s warmth again. His fingers drifted up to touch the carving that hung from his neck.

“It is very beautiful.” Kallik startled and looked beside him, seeing the old man smiling as he stood next to him. _Prince Iroh,_ Kallik remembered. The prince was staring at the necklace Kallik wore. The teenager glared and gripped the carving, hiding it from view.

“I suppose it is a personal thing,” Iroh continued, looking out to the sea. “From what I know of the Water Tribes, the jewelry you wear is meant to be cherished. Nothing like the trinkets available for trade.”

Kallik bit the inside of his cheek, seething. This man could never understand the work that went into the creation of their jewelry, especially tokens handed to family. How dare he talk about Kallik’s people as if he knew them.

“You are very still, for fire,” Iroh continued. Kallik raised a brow at him. “For water, too,” he chuckled as he continued. “If it weren’t for the clothes and hair, I would think you belonged to earth. Are you flighty like air, as well?” Kallik turned his face back to the ocean, forcing himself to ignore the ramblings of an old man.

“It’s not often I see someone so balanced,” Iroh continued. Kallik resisted the urge to scoff. He turned his back on the prince and walked away until his chain grew taut, then huffed and glared at the guard who was leading him like a dog. The soldier stared at him, aghast, most likely at the disrespect he showed their leader. Kallik didn’t care. He owed nothing to this monster who pulled him from his family when they needed him most.

The prince clapped a weathered hand on the man’s shoulder and nodded towards Kallik, giving him permission to follow the water tribesman. Kallik growled and stomped back towards the doors, ignoring the way the old prince followed them. He knew from the other day he wouldn’t be allowed to go back to his cell (he refused to think of the chamber as anything else), but he could wait stubbornly by the door until time was up. His keeper sighed when they reached the metal door. Kallik sneered at the guard before, turning his face away.

“I will leave you alone, if that is what you wish,” Iroh said, serenely. “I would much rather you get enough sunlight. Too little is unhealthy, and no young man should be cooped up inside all day.” Kallik set his jaw and refused to look at the man, folding his arms across his chest. The chain had enough give to allow him some freedom of movement, but he couldn’t stretch his arms all the way out. It restricted his already limited firebending ability, but he supposed that was the reason for the amount of chain he had between his hands. He didn’t care how petulant he looked.

“If you want to return indoors, then I will not stop you.” Kallik whipped his head around, staring at Prince Iroh in surprise. He had a solemn expression on his face, and his eyes regarded him sadly. “It is up to you. Hiro, I will be joining Captain Jee for a game of Pai Sho. If Kallik wishes to return below deck, please accommodate him. If he wants to stay out in the sun, then stay with him as long as he wants to be in the fresh air.”

“Yes, sir,” the guard said, saluting.

Iroh nodded his head and smiled kindly before departing, heading toward the helm. Kallik gaped after him, not quite sure what just happened.

* * *

“Rise and shine, Kallik!”

Kallik rolled his eyes and let his head hit the wall behind him. If he got out of this, he would never say that annoying phrase to Sokka again.

Kallik swallowed, his throat suddenly tight. He wouldn’t ever _see_ Sokka again.

“Why so glum?” Lu Ten asked, settling across from him. Kallik scowled, latching onto his anger. It was easier to feel that than the grief that filled his heart.

“Oh, I don’t know,” Kallik said, sarcastically. “Maybe I’m upset because I’ve been chained up the last three days. Or maybe I’m mad that I’m led around like a dog. Or maybe I just don’t want to make nice with the people that murdered my family!”

Lu Ten leaned back, eyebrows raised. Kallik was baring his teeth angrily. His hands were smoking slightly. Lu Ten glanced down and back up.

“You should practice some control,” he said, conversationally. “Then you won’t spark whenever you’re mad.”

Kallik growled and folded his arms across his chest, looking away. Lu Ten had struck a nerve. No matter how much Kallik tried, he couldn’t figure out how to stop sparking when he was extremely emotional. That was how his fire came to him in the first place; it was born out of fear. Katara always thought he was firebending long before he made that first jet of flame, but the truth was it didn’t manifest until a strong emotion nudged it along.

He blinked his eyes rapidly. He would never see Katara again, either.

“Kallik,” Lu Ten said, seriously. Kallik glanced at him, watching him carefully. “I know you’re angry with me. If I were you, I’d be furious. But the fact is, this is where we are now. So let it out. Let me have it so we can move past this.”

“Move past this?” Kallik asked in disbelief. “Are you serious? You left my family for dead, and you think if I yell at you a bit, we can be friends? What is _wrong_ with you?”

Lu Ten winced. “Yeah, okay. I deserve that.” Kallik rolled his eyes and looked away again. “What can I do to earn your trust? Even just some of it?”

Lu Ten had asked the same question the other day. Before, the teenager refused to answer. How could he trust someone who kept him imprisoned? Why did the prince want his trust and goodwill at all? To make him a more docile prisoner? It was unnerving, and the thing Kallik wanted most—besides being able to see his family again—was not something he would get.

Kallik looked Lu Ten dead in the eye and lifted his manacled hands, rattling the chains. Lu Ten flicked his eyes between Kallik’s face and wrists. Kallik lowered his arms, unsurprised that the man wouldn’t free him.

Lu Ten caught his wrists. Kallik’s eyes widened in surprise as he pulled a key from his pocket. Lu Ten unlocked the shackles and let them fall to the floor. Kallik stared at him. Lu Ten shrugged.

“You can’t go anywhere,” he said, nonchalantly. “We’re miles away from the shore right now. Granted, my father has a tendency to change course on a whim, but I can’t think of anything pressing that will take us back to the Earth Kingdom.” He waived a hand towards the door. “Feel free to try to escape all you like.”

Kallik stared at him, dumbfounded. Who did this guy think he was talking to? Kallik was from the Southern Water Tribe. He knew the ocean. He knew boats. A ship this size had to have a skiff or something. All he had to do was find it and he would be home free.

But he was sore. His skin itched from the sweat and dirt that had built up over the last few days, and his braid was frayed and in knots. His eyelids were heavy and his eyes stung from crying in the dark before he fell asleep.

Kallik was _tired._

He sighed and leaned back against the wall, staring uselessly at his unbound hands. The fight was knocked out of him as quickly as it came, and Kallik found himself too exhausted to even hold onto the brief flare of anger that filled him.

“Come on,” Lu Ten said, standing up. Kallik stared up at him, blinking at the hand that was held out to him. He ignored it and stood on his own. Lu Ten led him out of his cell and down the hall to a part of the ship he hadn’t visited yet. They entered a room that had large metal spickets mounted into the walls over a set of railings adorned with curtains. Lu Ten led him to a spicket near a bench, turned the knob, and a jet of water shot out. Kallik blinked in surprise.

“It’s a shower,” Lu Ten said, folding his arms over his chest. He looked a tad smug. “There’s soap there,” he said, pointing to a little shelf that held a tan bar and a red cloth. “Get undressed and wash up.”

Kallik stared at him in horror. “I’m not letting you see me naked!”

Lu Ten furrowed his brow. “What? No!” he said, holding his hands out in front of himself. “Not in front of me!” Kallik wrapped his arms around himself protectively. “I just need your clothes!”

“Why do you need my clothes?” Kallik asked, nervously.

“To wash them?” Lu Ten asked, raising an eyebrow. “They stink worse than you do.”

“And what am I supposed to wear in the meantime?” Kallik sneered. “Some of your stupid Fire Nation stuff? No thanks. I’d rather stink.”

“For the love of Agni,” Lu Ten muttered. “You have to bathe. And I’d rather not steal your clothes to get them clean. You’ll have them back before you’re done, washed and dried. Koh’s Lair, I’ll even fold them.”

“You’re going to do my laundry?” Kallik asked, arching a brow.

Lu Ten scoffed. “You know, I have roughed it before. I know about chores. Besides, none of the soldiers know how to dry clothes without burning them. That’s something me and Father know.” He smirked, winking at Kallik. “Maybe if you’re really nice to me, I’ll teach you how to do it.”

Kallik rolled his eyes. “I’ve been drying furs since I could talk.”

Lu Ten stared at him, bemused. “What?”

“Yeah. Been heating up water in bowls and food on plates, too. It’s not exactly hard.”

Kallik wasn’t sure how to classify the look that Lu Ten was giving him. Kallik looked around the wide room nervously. Lu Ten blinked, coming back to himself. 

“Sorry,” he said. “I got distracted. You’ve seen how to turn on the water. These two knobs control the temperature. The one on the left is for hot water, and the one on the right is for cold. I’ll leave the room and you can get undressed and clean up. Just pull the privacy curtain when you’re washing.” Kallik watched him for a moment then nodded his assent.

“I’ll grab you a towel. Just put your things on the bench.” With a quick wave, Lu Ten exited the room, leaving Kallik to his own devices. Kallik stared after him for a moment completely bewildered, before carefully unweaving his hair, extracting the beads from it as he went. He winced as he tugged them out. His fingers ran into snarls and tangles.

Kallik was hesitant, worried his belongings would disappear, but the last time he got a proper wash up was at that village the Hei Bai terrorized. He set the beads on the bench, and glanced toward the entrance, half-expecting Lu Ten to have come back by now. When the man didn’t show his face again, Kallik sighed and removed his clothing, then quickly darted into the shower and pulled the curtain closed behind him. Only his necklace remained with him. He didn’t dare take it off, even to clean himself. It was too important.

He tilted his head as he examined the knobs, twisting the one on the right first. The water cooled very suddenly, making him jump slightly. He shook himself. He had been used to cold water all his life. A little more wouldn’t kill him, and he’d rather be chilled then get burned with boiling water. Kallik carefully adjusted the knob on the left, feeling the water go from cold to tepid to warm. Once the temperature reached a point that he found comfortable, he took the soap and rag he was left with and washed all the dirt from his body. He tried to be economical with his time, but his bending had given him the ability to keep water hot as long as he wanted back home, and it was nice to be able to bathe without having to worry about a time limit.

He washed his hair with the bar of soap, removing all the dirt and built up oil. Once his hair was clear of suds, he braced himself and cleaned his teeth with a touch of soap on his finger. He gagged at the flavor, despite the fact he knew it was coming, and rinsed his mouth out. At least the filmy feeling was gone. He had washed himself to the point where his fingers were wrinkled. Kallik sighed and twisted the knobs, shutting off the water. Then he carefully pulled the curtain and stuck his head out, weary of what he would see on the bench.

Lu Ten was true to his word. His clothes sat, folded, next to a large towel. Kallik frowned and looked around before stepping out and grabbing the cloth, wrapping it around himself. He carefully picked up his tunic, surprised to find it was warm to touch. He brought the clothing to his nose and sniffed it carefully, then raised his eyebrows.

Lu Ten really _had_ washed his things, and he did it right away. He could have swapped his clothes for something clean while Kallik washed. He really didn’t have any say in the matter, at the end of the day. But here they were, exactly like Lu Ten said they would be. Kallik wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

He quickly dried off and dressed, then toweled his hair as best as he could before sitting on the bench to braid his hair again. He winced as he ran his fingers through his hair, still trying to untangle it.

“I don’t hear water, so I’m coming in!” Lu Ten shouted. He stepped around the corner with his hand over his eyes, holding out a comb as he staggered toward the bench.

“What are you doing?” Kallik asked, confused.

“Well, you seem to think that I want to see you naked, so I’m averting my eyes due to your delicate sensibilities,” Lu Ten said, feeling the bench and sitting down.

Kallik felt like a pail of ice water was dumped over him. He stared at the floor and clenched his jaw, willing himself not to cry. How many times had Sokka teased Kallik for his _sensibilities_? How many times had he used that exact phrase to get a rise out of the older boy?

“Kallik?” the teenager looked up to see Lu Ten still had a hand pressed over his eyes, but there was a frown on his face. The room had been quiet for too long.

“I’m dressed,” he said hoarsely. Lu Ten uncovered his eyes and gave him a hesitant smile, offering him the comb. Kallik stared at it dumbly, taking it from Lu Ten’s hand. It appeared to be made of some kind of wood, instead of bone. Kallik pondered over the differences to what he knew, focusing on anything he could that wasn’t his cousin. He wasn’t free to grieve, here.

“Oh, sorry,” Lu Ten said, kindly. “That’s a comb.” Kallik slowly turned to face him, eye twitching slightly. The prince was talking to him as if he were a particularly slow child. He gestured up to his hair. “You use it to—uh, groom your hair, and get the knots out—”

“I know what a comb is!” Kallik shouted, throwing his hands up. He grabbed his white lock of hair and started there, dragging the comb through it quickly.

“Well how was I supposed to know?” Lu Ten asked, frowning. “You just show up, and your hair looks like some kind of rat’s nest, and you’re Water Tribe, so what can I expect you to know about?”

“We wear our hair in elaborate styles,” Kallik said, combing through the black locks next. “Everyone knows that. How can you think we don’t know how to brush our hair?”

“You have brushes, too?” Lu Ten asked, curiously. Kallik stared at him in disbelief.

“You’re kidding, right?”

Lu Ten shrugged, a little helplessly. “I don’t know much about the Water Tribes,” he said. “My father knows more, but he hasn’t shared much with me. He says when I’m ready, I’ll learn. I swear, he thinks I’m still a kid sometimes.”

“Even if you don’t know much, you can’t have gone around thinking we didn’t know what combs were,” Kallik scoffed. “That’s ridiculous.”

“Well—I mean—” Lu Ten stuttered, scowling a little. “It’s not like you don’t have blind spots about the Fire Nation.”

“Sure, but I really don’t _want_ to know about you,” Kallik huffed, braiding the beads back into his hair.

Lu Ten watched him for a moment and sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“I’m sorry,” he said. Kallik raised an eyebrow as he finished tying off the braid. He reached his hands back and started to weave the rest together in a three-strand plait. It was all he could manage on his own. “I shouldn’t have made any assumptions.”

Once Kallik was halfway through the braid, he pulled the rest over his shoulder to finish up. He remained silent as he finished braiding his hair.

“My father thinks you’re Spirit-touched,” Lu Ten said, quietly, as Kallik tied off his braid. Kallik frowned, tugging the hair off his shoulder so it fell down his back. “He thinks the Moon Spirit blessed you.”

Kallik snorted. Lu Ten looked at him curiously. “Well, it’s pretty obvious, isn’t it?” he asked, pointing at the white braid in his hair.

“Why though? I mean, you’re a firebender. Why would the Moon Spirit get involved with you?” Lu Ten asked.

Kallik shrugged. “Don’t you know?” he asked. Lu Ten swallowed and shook his head. “Firebenders don’t survive at the South Pole.”

“Why not?” Lu Ten asked, voice quiet and concerned.

“Because the sun is gone every winter,” Kallik said, shrugging. “They either get sick or go mad. Tui heard my parents ask for a miracle, and she blessed me so I wouldn’t die the same way.”

“Huh,” Lu Ten said, smiling. “I guess we have something in common, then,” he continued, tapping his leg. Kallik frowned, confused.

“My father asked the Spirits for a miracle, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Writing Notes:
> 
> 1\. Lu Ten and Iroh are earning Kallik’s trust, bit by bit. They are manipulating him. They’ve done a horrible thing, but they’re trying to accommodate him where they can so he’s more willing to go along. Part of Kallik knows that. But he’s just been through a physical and emotional ordeal, and he hasn’t had a chance to get his head straightened out. I don’t like writing Iroh this way, but to be honest, I see that in him. He’s a White Lotus Grandmaster. He eats and breathes strategy. While he’s trying to pull away from those ideas that the ends justify the means for the war, that doesn’t mean he’s completely separated from it in his own plans and activities. 
> 
> 2\. I am of the opinion that the way Iroh uses firebending is uncommon, and since he met the dragons and learned about the origins of firebending as well, I think that is part of why. Most firebenders are taught to use their negative feelings to fuel their flame, if my understanding of canon is correct. Iroh’s technique is very unique. The thing is, the way Kallik came into his own with firebending, he never had that influence teaching him how to correctly bend. This is part of what Agni meant when he said Kallik uses bending correctly. It’s not supposed to be fueled by anything negative anymore than any other kind of bending, and it has many uses. Lu Ten is trying to wrap his head around the fact that something he worked very hard to learn was something Kallik easily taught himself. 
> 
> 3\. Oh Lu Ten. What an interesting dichotomy you represent. On the one hand, you know people well enough to manipulate them into doing what you want. On the other hand, you are so unaware of other people’s cultures that you say thing the stupidest things. The worst part is, this isn’t an intentional, “oh, I’ll make him think I’m stupid about this stuff so I can get this reaction.” It’s a genuine “how was I supposed to know?” deal. 
> 
> 4\. Not many firebenders know they won’t do well at the poles in this story. Remember, the raider who knew earlier on had a father who was a Fire Sage. The sages are a bit more knowledgeable about that sort of thing. I think if a lot of the firebenders knew if they got stranded at the poles it wouldn’t matter what they did because they couldn’t survive the winter, a LOT less would be willing to go there, Fire Lord’s orders or not. I’m pretty sure Iroh knows because of his connection with Pakku, but otherwise it’s pretty limited knowledge.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please leave a kudos if you were entertained, and a comment to share your thoughts. I’d love to hear them! As always, you can come visit me on [Tumblr.](https://hanuko.tumblr.com/) Thanks for reading!


	17. Chapter Sixteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Kallik sat at the edge of the deck, watching the clouds move overhead. The ship changed course, but Kallik couldn’t figure out why. It must have had something to do with that letter. He wondered what it could have said. Maybe the Earth Kingdom was mounting an attack against the Fire Nation. Maybe someone important would be arriving somewhere and the princes would need to meet with them._
> 
> _Maybe the Water Tribe ships had been spotted._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there. I'm back with an update!
> 
> Not much is going on, y'all. Pretty soon updates will most likely be sporadic. I've got a couple of projects going on that I've been PROCRASTINATING on. So I need to put my focus there, for now. Then again, I may be lying. This story has by far been the most fun for me to write, so maybe I'll procrastinate a little more...
> 
> Dilemmas. ;-)
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Iroh frowned as he unfurled his letter, wondering how many eyes his father had on him, tracking his movements. He sat down, rubbing a hand over his mouth as he thought of his response.

“Hello—uh oh,” Lu Ten said, walking through Iroh’s open door. “I know that look. What’s wrong?”

Iroh mustered up a smile. “Whatever would be wrong, son?”

“Well, you’ve got a letter in your hand, and you’re squinting your eyes like you’re trying to think of the nicest way to answer,” Lu Ten replied as he settled in the other chair in Iroh’s room. “What did Grandfather say?”

Iroh chuckled and handed Lu Ten the letter. Lu Ten’s brow furrowed as he read it. “If Grandfather knows we’re on our way back to the Fire Nation, doesn’t he know that the Avatar is dead?”

Iroh shook his head. “I suppose whoever delivered information about our whereabouts forgot to mention it,” he said, wryly. “So now I must be the one to inform my father that the Avatar is no more, and we will have to look to the poles to find the next one.”

“Good luck giving him that news,” Lu Ten said with a snort. “At least you can tell him it’s unlikely the Avatar will be reborn in the South Pole.” Iroh raised an eyebrow. “Kallik mentioned most of the men have been gone a long time. There won’t be any babies for a while, it seems.”

“He mentioned the state of his tribe to you?” Iroh asked, curiously.

“Well, not really,” Lu Ten said, scratching his head. “He was watching me train, and when I was done, I asked what he learned about fighting and how. He told me his dad taught him until the men left. He wouldn’t tell me anything more after that. Poor kid looked like he was gonna kick himself.” Lu Ten’s mouth formed a thoughtful frown. “To be honest, if Captain Jee hadn’t shown up I probably could have gotten more out of him. The man frightens him for some reason.”

Iroh stared at Lu Ten thoughtfully. “He trusts you,” Iroh said.

“It wasn’t difficult to gain his trust, Father,” Lu Ten replied, solemnly. “Kallik lost a lot in a short period of time. He’s tired and scared and—well, he’s _vulnerable._ ” He turned his head and stared blankly at a point on the wall. “It’s not that hard to convince him to trust me.”

Iroh sighed and stood up, walking over to his son. He placed a hand on the young man’s shoulder. “I know this is hard. You’ve never been fond of this skill that we share.”

Lu Ten snorted as Iroh removed his hand and sat back down. “This skill you taught me, you mean.”

“You may not like to use it,” Iroh said, “but it has saved your life many times, and has supported you in your missions for the Fire Nation. Never forget that.”

“He’s so young, Father.”

“I know,” Iroh said, sadly. “But in the end, this will be justified.”

Lu Ten looked up at him very seriously. “Will it? Will it truly be justified?”

“If he is our missing prince, then yes. Bringing him home by any means necessary will _always_ be justified.”

Lu Ten sighed, looking away. “I hope you’re right.”

* * *

He was here.

The man who saved their tribe was here, on this very ship. He had wrinkles and his hair was gray now, but Kallik would never forget that face. The man seemed to know Kallik, too, despite how much Kallik had grown.

They both decided to avoid each other. Kallik couldn’t wrap his head around the idea that the man he met—the man who opposed the raid on their village—was still serving with the military. Then again, it was so long ago, and Kallik couldn’t remember much except that he said he would lie for them. It was hard to forget the earnest tone to his voice, and the way he looked at Kallik before he left, as if he were something that needed to be protected.

Kallik bit the inside of his cheek as he rested his hands on his knees. What if he told the princes? What if he told them that they never found the waterbender when he raided their village? They didn’t know it was Katara. Even if they did, what reason did they have to believe that a dead girl was the last waterbender? They would think Kallik was lying to them to save his people. What if they sent new raiders back home? It didn’t matter that they joined the neighboring village. None of them could withstand the raids for very long.

Then again, if he was avoiding Kallik, maybe he didn’t want to tell the princes what happened. Maybe he just didn’t want the princes to know he recognized the boy. After all, it wasn’t like the man had a reason to wait until now to tell his superiors the waterbender was never found.

Kallik was twisted in knots inside when he heard a knock on his door. Lu Ten came in with a small cloth bundle, smiling candidly. Ever since his hands sparked at Lu Ten, he insisted Kallik sit with him and meditate before a candle. The point of the exercise was to make the flame grow and shrink with their breaths, but so far Kallik hadn’t seen the value of the practice. It was boring, and Lu Ten didn’t bother explaining why meditating was important.

“So, I was speaking to my father, and he thinks your progress is going really well. He wants me to move up to two cand—”

“Why am I here?” Kallik said, bluntly, cutting Lu Ten off. He held his breath, worried about the raider and what he might tell these men. The prince stared at him for a moment with his mouth hanging open.

“What?”

“I don’t know anything. I can’t tell you about the war, and you’ve already killed Aang,” Kallik bit out. “Why are you keeping me here? What do you want with me?”

Lu Ten gazed at him in silence. After the span of several heartbeats he cleared his throat, then sat across from Kallik, putting his bundle on the floor. Kallik stared at him, eyes cold.

“That’s really something my father should tell you,” Lu Ten said, carefully.

“What, you don’t know?” Kallik asked, snarling a little.

“It’s complicated,” Lu Ten said, hesitantly. “And to be honest, I don’t know how much is true, and how much is wishful thinking.”

“You make less sense than the Spirits,” Kallik muttered folding his arms over his chest.

Lu Ten shrugged. “Yeah, I suppose it seems that way.”

Kallik scowled. Lu Ten stared at him for a minute before opening his mouth to speak.

“Prince Lu Ten!” a soldier stood at the entrance of Kallik’s room. _Cell, you idiot,_ he thought to himself, _never forget this is a prison!_ “The general requires your presence at once! An important letter was received from the Capital!”

Lu Ten scrambled up and bolted out of the room, not giving Kallik a second glance. Kallik blinked, stunned by what just happened. He realized Lu Ten left the cloth bundle on the floor. Kallik carefully picked it up and unwrapped it, revealing two black candles. He sat silently for a few minutes before he sighed and set them up, lighting them both. Then he relaxed into position and focused on the flames flickering in time with his breaths.

* * *

“What is it, father?” Lu Ten asked as he met his father and Captain Jee on the deck. Iroh nodded his head to the both of them and led them back to his chambers. Once they were all inside, Iroh snapped the door shut to ensure they weren’t overheard.

The crown prince pulled a letter from his sleeve and handed it to Lu Ten. Captain Jee leaned over his shoulder to read it as well. Lu Ten’s eyebrows were climbing up his face, but he couldn’t stop them. He reread the letter to make sure he wasn’t imagining things.

“He’s alive?” Lu Ten asked, breathlessly. “Father, the Avatar is _alive?_ ”

Iroh nodded. “It appears he is either more skilled than I thought, or he got very, very lucky. Regardless, our mission has not changed. We are to turn the ship around and pursue the boy with great haste.”

“Sir,” Captain Jee said, frowning. “I believe a storm is brewing to the north, if the water and skyline is to be believed.

“I know, Captain,” Iroh said, tucking his arms into his sleeves. “However, this is an order that came directly from the Fire Lord. I cannot ignore it. We will travel as safely as possible while trying to apprehend the Avatar. Please go and set a course for the Pohuai Stronghold. Keep this quiet, for now, until I figure out how to break this news to the crew.” Lu Ten nodded in agreement. They lost several men trying to escape the island. Finding out the Avatar survived when he was in the very thick of things would be terrifying for many of them.

“Yes sir,” Jee said, bowing before he left the chambers.

“Father,” Lu Ten said, quietly. Iroh looked up at him with a tired expression. “We have to tell him.”

“Son, I know you don’t want to hurt the boy, but—”

“Father,” Lu Ten said, sternly. “I won’t lie to him about this.”

Iroh sighed. “It seems as if you are forgetting what we spoke about,” he said, reproachfully. Lu Ten resisted the urge to roll his eyes. It wasn’t as if he didn’t know his father’s tricks by now. “When we discussed this, we agreed that any means necessary is justified.”

“No, Father,” Lu Ten said, sternly. “ _You_ believe any means necessary is justified. If we keep trying to validate the means with the end result, what we do won’t matter. We won’t have acted with honor.” Iroh raised his eyebrows at Lu Ten’s quick statement, surprised.

“You think so?” his father asked, thoughtfully.

“Look at it this way, Father,” Lu Ten said, folding his arms over his chest. “He already doesn’t trust us because of the raids on his home and the way we went after him and the Avatar. If we don’t tell him and he finds out—and he will on a ship this small—he will never believe a single word either of us says ever again.”

Iroh let out a long sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. “But if he knows the Avatar is alive, he may believe the people he grew up with, the people he knows as his family, will be alive. He will try to find his way back to them.”

“Maybe so,” Lu Ten said, “but if that’s the case, and he does make his way back to them, at least he’ll know we didn’t lie. That would be useful, if we ran into him again.” And knowing the dogged streak that ran through his father, he didn’t doubt that _if_ would become a _when_.

* * *

Kallik sat at the edge of the deck, watching the clouds move overhead. The ship changed course, but Kallik couldn’t figure out why. It must have had something to do with that letter. He wondered what it could have said. Maybe the Earth Kingdom was mounting an attack against the Fire Nation. Maybe someone important would be arriving somewhere and the princes would need to meet with them.

Maybe the Water Tribe ships had been spotted.

Kallik’s heart started pounding. That last one wasn’t so impossible, was it? His father could be out there right now, sailing in these very waters. He didn’t know if the man was alive or dead, only that he hadn’t been able to write in a year. Kallik touched the carving on his necklace, feeling the lines that were etched deeply into the bone. He missed his dad so much. Bato would know what to do. Bato would know how to save him, and if he did, Kallik might finally feel safe again, for the first time in years.

The teenager frowned, touching his face. He had changed. He looked more and more like these people than he ever wanted to admit. Everyone in the Earth Kingdom thought so. Everyone who saw him thought he was Fire Nation at first glance. He didn’t belong with the Water Tribe. What if his father wouldn’t be able to look at him after all he had seen the Fire Nation soldiers do in this war? What if—what if Kallik was as wrong as he always felt? If Bato looked at Kallik like he was an enemy—well, Kallik didn’t think his heart could take that kind of rejection.

_Dad wouldn’t do that to me,_ he thought. _He loves me._ A shadow fell over him, making him jump. He looked up and frowned at the sight of the elder prince staring solemnly at him.

“Young Kallik,” Iroh said, “would you please join me in my chambers? There is something I would like to discuss with you.”

Kallik pursed his lips, ready to reject the man, but he caught sight of the raider watching them. He swallowed nervously and stood up, nodding at Iroh before following the man below deck. Any time spent out of sight of that man was a good thing, in Kallik’s opinion. They arrived at crown prince’s rooms. Kallik clenched his hands into fists as he followed him inside. Iroh settled himself down on a chair near a desk, gesturing for Kallik to sit in the free chair near him. Kallik wrapped his arms around himself, still standing.

“You don’t want to sit?” Iroh asked, curiously. He picked up a ceramic teapot and pressed his hands against the sides until steam rose from the spout.

“I prefer to stand,” Kallik replied, stiffly.

“Very well. The chair is there if you change your mind,” Iroh went on, pouring a cup of tea for himself. “Would you like a cup of tea? This is ginseng. It’s very stimulating, and quite delicious.”

“You wanted to discuss something with me,” Kallik said, bluntly.

Iroh took a careful breath in through his nose and let it out through his mouth.

“Yes,” Iroh said, seriously. He raised his head and looked Kallik directly in the eye. “I have news, and it concerns you.”

Kallik swallowed. Maybe they _had_ found the warriors from his tribe. Maybe Iroh was warning him that they were his next target. Maybe Iroh was going to tell him they were already prisoners, or worse.

Kallik bit his tongue and held his breath, not allowing himself to speak.

  
“The Avatar has been sighted.”

Kallik felt all the air leave his lungs in a rush. He stumbled, and Iroh swiftly stood up and guided him to the free chair, pressing his head between his knees.

“Easy now,” he was saying, when the blood stopped rushing in Kallik’s ears. “Deep breaths in through the nose and out the mouth.”

“What—” Kallik gasped. He felt a sharp pain developing behind his eye. “What did— _they’re alive?_ ”

“Breathe, Zuko,” Iroh said, rubbing circles into Kallik’s back. Kallik gasped until he gained control of his breaths, trying to make sense of what he was just told. “In and out, there you go.”

Kallik raised his head, staring up into the old man’s face. Iroh gazed back at him in concern.

“They’re alive?” Kallik asked again.

Iroh sighed and sat back down. He stroked his beard before he answered. “The Avatar appears to be,” he said. “There has been no word of any companions other than the flying bison.” He regarded Kallik very seriously before continuing. “I do not want to give you false hope.”

Kallik shook his head. “If Aang survived, he would have done his best to save the others.”

“I’m not disputing that,” Iroh said. “I can only tell you what I know, and I don’t know what happened to your family.”

Kallik felt his heart pounding in his chest. He fought to keep the smile off his face. If Aang survived, there was a chance. That was all he needed. “Aang _is_ my family.”

“Ah,” Iroh said, nodding. “I see. Well, I’m sorry to say that we are on a course to apprehend him.”

“You won’t catch him,” Kallik said quickly.

“That remains to be seen.”

Kallik scuffed his toe along the floor. “Why did you tell me?” he asked, curiously.

Iroh sighed and gave him a rueful smile. “Because my son told me it would help you to trust us, and I truly mean you no harm.”

Kallik gazed at the man for a minute, searching for any dishonesty in his face. He frowned when he found none, more confused than ever.

“Oh,” he said, dumbly. “Well, thank you for telling me.”

“You’re welcome,” Iroh said, bowing his head. Kallik glanced between Iroh and the door.

“Can I go now?”

Iroh chuckled and waved him away. Kallik shot to his feet and darted to the door, but he paused after he pulled it open. He glanced back at Iroh.

“I mean it,” he said, seriously. “Thank you.”

Iroh nodded once again, and Kallik took his leave. It wasn’t until he was halfway down the hallway that he realized Iroh had said something odd before.

_What kind of a name is Zuko, anyway?_

* * *

“So how old are you?” Lu Ten asked. Kallik sighed as he picked at his dinner. Iroh sat with them, quietly enjoying the conversation.

Once Iroh told him about the Avatar, Kallik started to feel like he may be able to trust these men after all. They didn’t seem to want him for information about the Southern Water Tribe or their fleet. Kallik was pretty sure they didn’t even know the warriors were active, or that Hakoda was leading raids against the Fire Nation Navy. The teenager wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing. On the one hand, it was great if the men from the tribe were operating undetected. On the other, they may have stopped movements altogether. Kallik tried not to think too much about it. Even if the fleet were still active, they wouldn’t know he was on a Fire Navy ship.

“Come on, tell me,” Lu Ten prodded. “I know you’re old enough to have kissed a girl.”

“Why are you so obsessed with the most uncomfortable topics?” Kallik asked, staring into his soup and fighting against a blush.

“Spirits, you’re touchy,” Lu Ten replied, cheekily. “Sorry. Old enough to have kissed a boy?”

Kallik sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “It’s none of your business.”

“Why not?”

“In the Water Tribe,” Iroh interjected, “you don’t discuss these sorts of things outside those close to you in your family or community. We’re outsiders to Kallik, so he wouldn’t share any personal information like that with us unless he considered us trustworthy enough to know his community.”

Kallik raised an eyebrow, surprised at Iroh’s knowledge. It unnerved him how much Iroh knew of their customs, but he couldn’t help but be impressed. Iroh smiled knowingly at him. “I have done much traveling while Lu Ten was recovering from his injury. I even spent some time at the North Pole, observing waterbenders and learning about the people there.”

“You’ve been to our sister tribe?” Kallik asked.

“Yes. It was a very majestic thing to behold. I had never known ice could be so versatile. Each structure was ornate and beautiful, and seemed to rise out of the ground as opposed to being built.” Kallik blinked and looked back at his soup. He couldn’t even imagine it. Other than their lodge, they had no buildings made of ice. The lodge itself was built by normal men, not benders. The idea of waterbenders creating lodgings so easily twisted him up inside. He wondered what his home would be like if there were any waterbenders left. Well, other than Katara.

Kallik ignored the pounding of his heart. _They might be gone,_ he reminded himself. _Don’t get your hopes up. Focus on finding Aang first._

“Sixteen?” Lu Ten guessed. “You’re at least sixteen, right?”

Kallik resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Spending time with Lu Ten was an interesting endeavor. The man was both entertaining and infuriating at the same time. He was also incredibly pushy and demanded attention constantly. It was exhausting to try to ignore him or argue with him.

“I’m seventeen,” Kallik offered, glancing up. “I just turned seventeen, actually.”

“When?” Iroh asked, slurping his own soup.

Kallik shrugged and cleared his throat. “My birthday is on the Winter Solstice.” Lu Ten’s eyes widened and his mouth dropped open a little bit. “Yeah,” Kallik added, snidely. Lu Ten must have been reminded of how horribly he treated Kallik and his family. “Kind of the worst birthday ever, actually.”

Iroh stroked his beard thoughtfully. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I know it’s not worth much, but I truly did not want any harm to come to your friends.”

“My family,” Kallik corrected, glaring.

Iroh nodded. “Yes, that boy said he was your cousin? By blood?”

“No,” Kallik said. “His father and my father are brothers in all but blood.”

“I see.” Iroh nodded, but raised a curious eyebrow. “Pardon me for asking this—I know it’s not my place, but you are not what I expect for someone from the Water Tribes.”

Kallik let out a humorless laugh. “Yeah. Haven’t heard that one before.”

Iroh smiled softly at him. “Your mother is Fire Nation?”

“My mother was Water Tribe,” Kallik said, suddenly fierce. He hated questions like this. “My father is Water Tribe, and so am I. It doesn’t matter that I don’t look like them.”

Iroh held up his hands in placation. “My apologies. I’m sure it must be frustrating to hear these questions. I just have never heard of firebenders in the Water Tribe.”

“Yeah, neither has anyone else,” Kallik sighed, slumping a little. “Look, I know you won’t stop asking me until I tell you. No one does. I wasn’t born there. Whoever actually had me didn’t want me, but my parents did. They asked the spirits to give them a child, and they gave them me.”

“Just like that?” Lu Ten asked, arching a brow. “They just accepted you as their kid, even though you had no relation to them at all?”

“I don’t get why that’s so surprising,” Kallik said, crossing his arms over his chest. “It’s the rest of you that are weird. Do you know how many orphans there are in the Earth Kingdom? Hardly anyone steps up to take care of them. The adults act like the kids aren’t their responsibility.”

“Well, they’re not,” Lu Ten said, slowly. Kallik opened his mouth to argue, but Iroh cut him off.

“The Water Tribe values family and community,” he said, with authority. Lu Ten settled back to listen. “The responsibility for children falls to the whole tribe. Mothers and fathers raise them, yes, but all the adults teach them, and older children and teenagers help take care of them. If something happens to their parents, someone from the tribe immediately steps up to take them as their own.”

“Why?” Lu Ten asked.

“The conditions are harsh at the poles, my son,” Iroh said. “Terrible things happen easily to the people who live there. It is a necessity that the children are cared for so they can help the tribe in turn when they are old enough. These values have been passed on for generations to those who are part of the Water Tribe.”

“Huh.” Lu Ten furrowed his brow. “I suppose that makes sense.”

“What I want to know,” Iroh said, staring at Kallik intensely, “is why you think your birth family didn’t want you.”

Kallik set his spoon down. “Lu Ten told me you know I’m Spirit-touched.” Lu Ten told him a lot more than that. He told him how Iroh respected the Spirits. He told him how Iroh went on a journey through the Spirit world to save his life. If anyone would fully believe this story, it would be him.

Iroh nodded. Kallik sighed before he continued. “I was touched by Tui when I was a baby. And the Spirits haven’t left me alone since.”

“Tui?” Lu Ten asked.

“The Moon Spirit,” Iroh explained, gesturing for Kallik to go on.

“Well, I just recently ended up in the Spirit world, and I got to meet Agni.” Iroh’s eyes widened. Lu Ten gaped at him. Kallik took a careful breath. “He said the man he gave me to had no love in his heart for me, so his sister delivered me to someone who did.”

“What?” Iroh whispered, stunned.

“You met Agni?” Lu Ten asked, awed.

“I don’t really want to talk about this anymore,” Kallik said, a little discomforted.

“Alright,” Iroh said, shaking himself. “I apologize if I overstepped. Perhaps you would like to learn about Pai Sho?”

* * *

Iroh sat before a blank sheet of paper, still trying to figure out how to word the letter he needed to send to his father.

They found him. Iroh was certain the boy they found on Crescent Island was Prince Zuko. All the pieces fit. Zuko was only a baby when he disappeared. Kallik was adopted by a Water Tribe couple before he was old enough to have memories. He was the right age, and he even shared the same birthday as the missing prince. The most convincing evidence of all was his face. He looked exactly like Ozai. He looked exactly like _Azula._ Other than some of the softer features Ursa possessed (a rounder nose and thinner eyebrows) he was the spitting image of Iroh’s brother at that age. Those brilliant gold eyes that Azulon passed down could not be mistaken for anything else.

But the boy met Agni, and if he was to be believed, Agni didn’t want him with Ozai. Ozai, who demanded retribution against those who would dare to take his son. Ozai who doted on his wife and daughter. Ozai who lit a candle on the Winter Solstice every year in remembrance of his lost child. Agni thought Ozai had no love for Zuko.

Iroh didn’t want to believe it. How could his brother have no love for his own son? For his firstborn? It was true that Ozai could be a little cold, sometimes, but for a Great Spirit to say he was undeserving of his child took tremendous doing.

Iroh tapped his fingers against the paper thoughtfully. Ozai always regretted that there was no spark in Zuko’s eyes when he was born. He often lamented the bad omens that hung over his son’s head during that first year of life. He was also the first of them to believe Zuko was dead instead of missing.

Assassins often went after members of the royal family, but none had such intimate knowledge of the layout of the palace. Attacks were almost always during travels, or visits with the commoners. When one considered the fact that the rooms belonging to the second prince were practically unknown, one had to wonder how an assassin could have reached Zuko’s room to begin with. And wasn’t Ozai fixated on sending a letter that very day by messenger hawk? What could have demanded his attention so much that he couldn’t even properly mourn the loss of his son?

The more Iroh thought about it, the more concerned he became. Finally, after much consideration, he put the paper away.

Perhaps it was too soon to notify his father that he found Prince Zuko. It couldn’t be known for sure, and Iroh had more pressing concerns at the moment.

The Avatar was not quite at the top of the list.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Writing Notes:
> 
> 1\. Poor Kallik/Zuko. Jee’s got him all up in knots, thinking that his tribe won’t be safe now that they’ve seen each other. Jee’s backstory here is that he used to be part of the Southern Raiders, but when he found out what they did to the benders, he wanted out. Then he joined the Navy. To those of you who guessed it was him, good job! I’m honestly surprised you knew. 
> 
> 2\. Even though Kallik has been fairly independent for a long time, of course he still wants his dad to be with him. That was someone who loved him unconditionally and always took care of him. Kallik’s in this place where everything is unknown to him. He wants comfort and familiarity. Unfortunately, he also has some pretty terrible self-esteem, most of which comes from feeling out of place. Between that and the very uncomfortable, no-good, bad situation I’ve put him in, he’s beginning to think any good thing that might happen will have a bad thing to go with it. 
> 
> 3\. Oh Iroh. I’m glad you came to your senses. I really warred with myself. I can easily see Iroh not telling Kallik what he knew, and I could see him finding ways to prevent him from ever finding out. I didn’t do it for a couple of reasons. First off, it helps my story later on. And that is always the most important reason to do anything. ;-) Second, while I can see Iroh being capable of doing this, I don’t see him choosing to do this to someone who he considers a friend or loved one. He thinks Kallik is his long-lost nephew, Zuko. He doesn’t want to hurt him, and this would hurt him. He was honest when he said he wanted Kallik’s trust. 
> 
> 4\. The pieces are coming together for Iroh now, including a lot of pieces he didn’t even know he had. For the first time, Iroh is beginning to suspect that Ozai is not as good as he seemed. Ozai’s motives were never obvious to those in the Fire Nation. He knew how to convince people to work for him, and it was with cunning instead of force. Think Tom Riddle, or Loki. Very ambitious villains who used trickery to gain power. It does him no good to act like he wants the throne, especially around his brother, who is next in line. Prior to this little truth bomb from Kallik (which came from a Great Spirit, no less), Iroh had no reason to even suspect his brother of foul play. Now though, he has to wonder. 
> 
> Please leave a kudos if you were entertained, and a comment to let me know your thoughts! Come visit me on [Tumblr,](https://hanuko.tumblr.com/) if you like.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	18. Chapter Seventeen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“I thought I was free to move as I wished?” he said in a flat voice. He should have known things wouldn’t last._
> 
> _“You are free to move as you wish when we are at sea,” Iroh said, smiling. “But now, we are very close to shore, and I do not trust that you will not take this opportunity to escape.”_
> 
> _Kallik scoffed and turned away, glaring at the mattress._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiiiiiiiii everyone. 
> 
> Sorry it took me so long. Life got away from me. You know the deal. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy this chapter!

The sun was setting when guards came into Kallik’s room. Kallik stood warily, and they quickly grabbed his hands and put them in chains again.

“What the—” Kallik struggled, trying to free himself. He was shoved onto the bed by one guard as the other wrapped the chain around the post. “What are you doing?”

“They’re acting on my orders,” Iroh said as he entered the room. Kallik scowled at him.

“I thought I was free to move as I wished?” he said in a flat voice. He should have known things wouldn’t last.

“You are free to move as you wish when we are at sea,” Iroh said, smiling. “But now, we are very close to shore, and I do not trust that you will not take this opportunity to escape.”

Kallik scoffed and turned away, glaring at the mattress.

“Come now, Kallik,” Iroh said, reproachfully. “You’ve demonstrated your willingness to escape this ship when we’ve been miles from the shore. While land was in sight, you tried to jump overboard and swim—not your brightest moment, by the way.” Iroh shook his head and chuckled. “I would be a fool to leave you here unbound and unsupervised.”

“And who is supervising me?” Kallik grumbled. “Lu Ten?”

“No,” Iroh said, tucking his hands inside his sleeves. “We planned to stop at the Stronghold to gather more supplies, but we received information from Admiral Zhao that the Avatar was sighted here. He also believes he will apprehend the boy since he has aid from the warriors in this stronghold.”

“There’s no way they’ll catch Aang,” Kallik said firmly. Iroh gave him an indulgent smile that made Kallik scowl even more.

“Regardless, the Admiral is requesting both of us be present for this momentous victory of the Fire Nation.” Iroh nodded to the guards who saluted and left the room. “Captain Jee and some guards he has selected will remain with you.”

Kallik swallowed and tried slow the pounding in his chest. So far, it seemed the raider had said nothing to the princes about the attack on his village. He wasn’t sure what this meant for him. Most likely, the captain would avoid him. If Kallik could find a way to break out of his chains, there was a good chance he could escape.

“Captain?” Iroh called. Captain Jee stepped into the room, bowing before the prince. “I must request that you remain here during the duration of our stay. I don’t want to leave anything to chance.” Kallik’s heart fell when he heard the order.

“Of course, sir,” the captain said, curtly.

Iroh smiled rocking back on his heels. “Well, I probably shouldn’t keep the Admiral waiting,” he said, jovially. “He does not have the best temperament. Good night.”

Jee bowed to him before he left, then stood with his arms crossed behind his back at the door of Kallik’s cell.

Kallik sighed. _So much for trying to escape._

* * *

_So much for trying to escape,_ Aang thought, struggling against his binds. Those archers trapped him in a net. He was an airbender! He was better than a net!

Everything had gone all wrong since the solstice. They searched for Kallik for days. When they stopped for supplies, they even tried to see if those pirates had any information about a Water Tribe prisoner. It was dumb luck Katara spotted that waterbending scroll and stole it—Aang still felt a little guilty they had done that. Katara was probably right, though. It was pretty likely they stole the scroll themselves from someone in the Water Tribes, and they needed to learn waterbending somehow.

When they couldn’t find him, they started scouting villages on foot. Sokka hoped they had stopped at a nearby colony for supplies. That lead them to Jet, and that was an encounter Aang would rather forget. It was awful, the way they tricked him. The moment Jet heard about Kallik being taken by Fire Nation soldiers, he used it to manipulate them. Sokka was the only one who seemed to see through him. Katara looked like she was ready to cry when she realized what he was really like. Aang felt like he was going to cry, too. If it weren't for Sokka's quick thinking, all the people in that village could have _died._

Then that storm came along and grounded them, hindering them from searching more. Now, Sokka and Katara were both sick, and Aang was the only one with the cure hidden away in his robes. Not that it mattered because he was tied up, being dragged toward a Fire Nation stronghold.

_What am I gonna do now?_

* * *

Kallik was leaning back against the wall, staring blankly at the shackles around his wrists. It was fully dark now. Iroh and Lu Ten had yet to return, and Kallik was stuck. He had no way to break the chains, but even if he did, the captain was vigilantly guarding the door. Kallik sighed and shifted, making the bed frame creak. Captain Jee cleared his throat.

“Hiro, Juruk,” he called. The guards with him snapped to attention. “Go above deck and take a break. There’s no reason three of us need to guard one, untrained firebender.”

“Sir?” one of the guards asked, tilting his head curiously.

“I need you to make sure our deck is secure, anyway.”

The guard stared at him then nodded slowly, turning swiftly on his heel and walking away. His companion looked between the captain and his partner before he turned around and followed him.

The captain waited until their footsteps faded before he shut the door and turned to face Kallik. Kallik swallowed nervously as the man approached him. He paused, inches in front of him, hesitantly reaching a hand into his pocket. Kallik slowly leaned away, trying to put as much space between them as he could.

Captain Jee pulled out a key and bent down to unlock Kallik’s shackles.

“What are you doing?” Kallik asked, raising a confused brow.

“I’m letting you go,” Captain Jee said as the shackles fell away. Kallik rubbed his wrists. “I have your fans. I’m sorry, but they were all I could save.” Kallik’s jaw dropped. He thought they threw all his weapons overboard after his first escape attempt. “They were small enough to hide away. I also have some spare armor that should fit you. Come with me.” Kallik stared at him as he darted out the door, completely stunned. The captain poked his head back around the frame.

“We don’t have time!” he hissed. “Come with me, now.”

Kallik got to his feet and followed the captain to his own chambers. The captain pulled a bag out from under his bed and emptied out the contents. Several pieces of armor clattered to the floor.

“You need to unbraid your hair,” he said, sorting through the armor. “We’re going to disguise you as a solider. You’ll be able to walk right out of here.” Kallik dumbly moved his hands to his hair, unraveling his bread. He carefully tugged the beads out and tucked them in his pockets. Captain Jee quickly walked back to him and swept his hair up in a top knot. Kallik barely resisted the urge to flinch.

“Why are you doing this?” he asked.

“Because I’m stupid,” the captain said, shaking his head. He started tying pieces of armor to Kallik’s body. “Because I know who you are, and I know you can’t be anything but Water Tribe, with the way their leader looked at you. Because my father died before he could see the Avatar return and I know he would be ashamed that his son was on a mission to capture him.”

Captain Jee tucked the fans in his belt, then a pair of broadswords in one sheath. “This is the dao,” he said. “Two thin swords that work together. They’re a common weapon for soldiers here. People will pay more attention to this than the fans in your belt.”

“I don’t understand,” Kallik said, shaking his head. “Why was I taken in the first place?” The captain sighed and grabbed the helmet on his way out of the room. He led Kallik up towards the deck, keeping a sharp eye out for witnesses.

“I’m not sure,” Captain Jee said, once they reached the door. “But back when I saw you the first time, I wanted to take you with me, too.”

“Why?” Kallik whispered, blinking.

“Because you’re _fire_ ,” Jee said, frowning. “You belong with us. The only reason I didn’t take you was I could see you belonged with them, too.” His eyes darted to the white streak in Kallik’s hair. Kallik felt his hands tremble slightly. Captain Jee put the helmet on his head.

“You need to hit me,” he said, setting his jaw.

“What?”

“I’m going against orders, here,” the captain said. “Make it convincing.”

Kallik swallowed and balled his hand into a fist.

“Thank you.”

* * *

Aang tugged against his binds, uselessly. No matter what he did, he was stuck. He would never make it back to Sokka and Katara. If they didn’t die from the sickness, then they would be stranded there. They would be lost just like Kallik and it was all Aang’s fault. He never should have let them come with him! He should have made them stay in that village, safe and sound.

The door creaked open and a tall man with large sideburns and thick eyebrows entered the room. “So this is this the mighty Avatar,” he sneered. “Master of all four elements.”

“I don’t know how you’ve managed to elude the Fire Nation for the last hundred years,” he said, pacing around Aang, “but your little game of hide and seek is over.”

“I’ve never hidden from you,” Aang growled, glaring at the man. “Untie me and I’ll fight you right now!”

“No,” the man said, smirking. “Tell me, how does it feel to be the last airbender? Do you miss your people?” Aang glared at him as the cruel words washed over him. He felt his eyes start to water and ducked his head so the man couldn’t see him cry.

“Don’t worry,” he said in a fake soothing voice. “You won’t be killed like they were.” Aang growled and looked back up at him, tugging against the chains. “See if you die, you’ll just be reborn and the Fire Nation will have to being its search all over again. So I’ll keep you alive, but just barely.”

Aang pulled in a deep breath and blew it out, knocking the man to the ground.

“Blow all the wind you want,” he growled, smoothing his hair back into place. “Your situation is futile. There is no escaping this fortress.” He turned back and glared at Aang one more time.

“And no one is coming to rescue you.”

* * *

Kallik nodded at the guards at the gateway of the stronghold, keeping his body language militant and confident. If he looked like he belonged, no one would bat an eye at him. Ever since he heard the guards on the docks say that Admiral Zhao captured the Avatar, all Kallik could think of was that he had to find a way to save his friend. The disguise was proving more useful than he wanted to admit. So far, no one questioned him. He moved freely about the troops as he went deeper and deeper into the stronghold. He finally managed to get into the tower and walked quietly down the halls, following the voices of guards as he went. He arrived at a door at the same time as four other guards.

“Wait, who are you?” one of the men asked, raising an eyebrow.

Kallik swallowed. “I’m… Hiro. From Prince Iroh’s ship.”

“Prince Iroh is here?” the man asked, eyes wide.

“I heard he arrived not too long ago, to witness the capture of the Avatar,” another said, rubbing his hands together. “I’ve only ever seen him during the speeches.”

“He wanted me to ensure him that the Avatar is actually here,” Kallik said, puffing out his chest. “I’m here to make sure he’s secure.”

The first man eyed him suspiciously. “I have to clear that with Admiral Zhao,” he said, folding his arms over his chest.

“Be my guest,” Kallik said, shrugging, begging his voice not to crack from nerves. “But you’re the one who has to explain to Prince Iroh why my report is late. I’m not getting on his bad list.”

The man frowned and looked towards the doors nervously.

“Well,” he said, turning around and pulling the door open. “Go ahead and check his chains. He’s not getting out of there.” Kallik nodded and stepped through. The leader of the guards followed him and shut the door behind him.

“As you can see,” the guard said, walking forward and gesturing toward the center of the room, “the Avatar has all four limbs chained. He can barely bend.”

“I’ll show you bending.” Kallik looked over to see Aang quickly draw a breath. Kallik moved out of the way just in time as he blasted a puff of air at them, knocking the other guard off his feet. Kallik quickly pulled out a fan and knocked the guard hard on his temple. The guard fell with a groan.

“Why’d you hit your buddy?” Aang asked, clearly confused. Kallik rolled his eyes as he put his fans away.

“Aang!” he hissed, “It’s me! I’m here to rescue you.”

“Kallik?” Aang asked as Kallik approached him. He pulled out his swords and whipped both blades against the chains, breaking the weak links by the shackles. He did the same with the ankle restraints and looked around the room. Aang darted forward and started picking up something that was wriggling along the floor.

“Aang, can we focus?” he asked.

“We have to get these frogs to save Katara and Sokka!” Aang replied. Kallik felt his heart pounding.

“They’re okay?” he asked. “They’re alive? Why do they need frogs?”

“Because they’re sick, and of course they’re alive!” Aang said, grabbing the last loose frog and tucking it into his shirt. “Why wouldn’t they be?”

“Aang, the last thing I saw on that island was the temple falling off the mountain,” Kallik said, slowly. “I thought they died. I thought you were dead too, until a couple of days ago.”

“What?” Aang asked, eyes wide. “Kallik, we’ve been looking for you! We didn’t know which way they were heading with you, but Sokka noticed several boats seemed to be going North, so we kind of followed them. We’ve been trying to figure out which one had you so we could get you back.”

Kallik clenched his jaw as he put his swords away. He couldn’t afford to break down right now. They needed to get out of here.

“Kallik?” Aang asked. Kallik looked up at him, blinking. Aang smiled. “I’m really glad you’re okay.”

Kallik stepped forward and pulled Aang into a tight hug.

“I’m glad you’re okay, too.”

* * *

Aang patted Kallik on the shoulder one last time as they let go, grinning broadly. He was okay! Not only that, he was here to rescue Aang. Kallik sure had a knack for being in the right place at the right time for such an unlucky guy.

“There are three guards outside the door,” Kallik said, pulling his fans out. “I can’t take them all on. I think I know a way out so no one will spot us, but we have to get past them, first, and we have to move quickly.”

“I can take care of them,” Aang said. “You go and open the doors. Get their attention.” Aang stood back and started gathering an air ball. Kallik ran forward and quickly pulled open the door.

“The Avatar has escaped!” He shouted. The three guards ran in, weapons ready. Kallik pulled the door closed behind them and Aang let an airball loose, knocking the guards back into the hard walls behind them. All three slid to the ground, groaning. Kallik untied their sashes and tied their hands behind their backs. Then he cut off pieces of fabric from the bottoms of one of their uniforms and made them into makeshift gags. Once he was satisfied none of them would make much noise, he took the uniform off the smallest man, and quickly shoved Aang into the armor.

“What are we doing?” he asked. “No one is going to believe I’m a soldier! I’m a kid!”

“I saw a corporal and she was shorter than you,” Kallik said, shoving the helmet on Aang’s head. He managed to tie it well enough to make it look like it fit. “Just keep quiet. We’re going out through the front door.”

“How?” Aang asked as Kallik lead him back toward the entrance of the tower. “I just went missing. Why are they going to let anyone out?”

“They don’t know you’re missing yet,” Kallik hissed. “If we time this right, we can get out of here before they even know you’re gone. Just do what I do and we’ll be fine.”

Aang pressed his lips together as he followed Kallik out to the yard. He walked briskly, like he had somewhere to be, and Aang mimicked him to the best of his ability. No one said anything. They were finally near the gates when they were called to assemble. Kallik stopped and grabbed Aang, stepping alongside the soldiers to help form a neat square. Aang mimicked Kallik’s posture and stared straight ahead, heart pounding. They were so close!

Everyone standing below stared up at a balcony, waiting. Aang looked up with them, but he had to bite his tongue when he saw who would be speaking. That guy who caught him and said all those horrible things was right _there._ They had to get away! He glanced at Kallik. The older boy subtly shook his head, and Aang clenched his jaw, resolving himself to trust Kallik’s plan.

“We are the sons and daughters of fire, the superior element. Until today, only one thing stood in our path to victory: the Avatar! I am here to tell you that he is now my prisoner!” Everyone cheered. The man raised his arm and made a fist in the air.

“This is the year Sozin’s comet returns to grant us its power!” The crowd cheered again. Aang and Kallik looked at each other as they cheered with them. Kallik glanced back toward the open gate.

“This is the year the Fire Nation breaks through the walls of Ba Sing Se, and burns the city to the ground!” The crowd screamed in agreement, raising their fists into the air as well.

“This is the year we conquer the Earth Kingdom, and win this glorious war!” The crowd screamed so loud, it felt like the ground was shaking slightly. The man waved at them and dismissed them, leaving the balcony. The soldiers dispersed. Kallik grabbed Aang’s arm and pulled him around so they were following two men that were going to the gates.

“Wow, can you believe Admiral Zhao caught the Avatar?” one of the soldiers in front of them asked. “I wish I weren’t on wall duty. I think Prince Iroh will be speaking soon.”

“Prince Lu Ten is supposed to be here as well,” the other said. He turned around. “Hey, where are you two going?”

Aang swallowed and straightened his spine. Kallik tilted his head.

“Stables,” he replied easily. “Need to take care of those mounts for the princes.”

“You know the princes?” he asked, awed. “How?”

“I serve on their ship,” Kallik said. “I think we’ll be leaving after Prince Iroh speaks, so I need to make sure the rhinos are ready.”

“Okay,” the first man said, bowing. “Carry on.” Kallik bowed back and Aang quickly copied him. Then they darted out the doors. The path to the outer stables was shrouded in darkness, and at the first opportunity, Kallik and Aang disappeared into the high grass the led to the woods.

* * *

“Why are we catching frogs?” Kallik asked, pulling the frozen amphibians out of the muddy water.

“They secrete some kind of oil that cures whatever illness Sokka and Katara have.” After they got into the woods, the frogs Aang had caught earlier all wriggled away. He and Kallik were forced to stop at the swamp before they headed back to the others. On the bright side, it was a convenient place to dispose of their disguises.

“Really?”

“I hope so,” Aang said. “They were pretty bad off, Kallik. Sokka had a fever and he was talking to people that weren’t there.”

Kallik frowned. “For fever you brew artic willow bark. I know Katara had some.”

“Oh monkey feathers,” Aang muttered. “I need one of you to teach me how to use that stuff. Katara had a fever, too. She must have been out of it, like Sokka.”

“Well, that or you guys are actually out of it,” Kallik said with a shrug. Aang furrowed his eyebrows. “I mean, not out of it like you’re _out of it,_ out of it. I meant out of it like you’re out of _it._ _It_ being artic willowbark.” Kallik winced as he tripped on his words. He was still a little stunned that he was walking with Aang, pockets full of frozen frogs. Aang chuckled, leading Kallik out of the swamp and up to an empty ruin.

They passed some deteriorated walls, and Kallik felt his heart swell when they rounded the corner. His family were snuggled up against Appa, tucked into their furs and moving sleepily. They each opened their eyes blearily as Aang and Kallik approached.

“Here,” Aang said, shoving a frog into each of their mouths. “These will make you feel better.”

“These are tasty,” Sokka mumbled. Kallik let out a high, startled laugh at the sound of his voice. Sokka sat up, eyes wide. The frog was still hanging out of his mouth. After a few moments, the frog began to kick its legs, making Sokka jump and spit the frog out in surprise.

“Kallik?” Sokka asked in a hoarse voice as Katara spat her own frog out, gagging. “Kallik, is that really you?”

Kallik smiled, feeling his eyes sting. “Yeah. Yeah, it’s really me if it’s really you.”

“Kallik!” Katara shouted, wriggling out of her sleeping bag. Her feet were still tangled in the furs as she stood up, making her stumble. Kallik caught her and pulled her into a tight hug. Sokka got up as well and wrapped his arms around both of them. Eventually, Aang was pulled in too. Kallik pressed his face against Sokka’s shoulder to hide his tears. Sokka saw anyway and teased him for his delicate sensibilities, despite the wet trails on his own face. Momo flew overhead, chittering with excitement.

They were alive. They were _here._

Kallik wondered if this was what good luck felt like. He wasn’t sure he could call it anything else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Writing Notes:
> 
> 1\. I couldn't figure out the best time to reunite with the others. I felt like there were two opportunities: _The Waterbending Scroll_ , and _The Blue Spirit._ Then I had to think about how long Kallik would be with the princes and decided on _The Blue Spirit_. So unfortunately, there are several interactions that happened similarly as they did in canon (we'll touch on them in the future) that will not be shown in this story. I know a lot of you were excited for Kallik to meet Jet, but that's not gonna happen for a while. ;-)
> 
> 2\. I was so excited to write Aang's POV. It's been a lot of Fire Nation this, Kallik that, Iroh this, Lu Ten that... it was nice to get back to the other characters we all love.
> 
> 3\. Jee has been awkward and avoiding eye contact because he feels incredibly guilty. He believes Kallik belongs to the Water Tribe, whether he's Fire Nation or not. He also respects Iroh, and wants to follow him, but all he can think is he's already been part of so much destruction to the other benders. So, when he saw the opportunity, he kept soldiers with him that he trusted, and let Kallik punch him in the face and get off the ship. Will there be repercussions? Well.... 
> 
> 4\. So, the crazy ninja stuff that actually happens in this episode could not happen. For several reasons. First off, there is no way Kallik would know a backway to Aang's cell. Zuko probably knew the layout in canon. Kallik does not. Second, the crazy dao blade rescue with all the flips and sneak attacks? I'm not saying the Water Tribe doesn't have strong warriors or sneak attacks. They do. But Kallik has no reason to learn it to that extent. No one is really trying to kill him (just Spirits and predators). No one is trying to hurt him on a regular basis (no Azula to defend himself from, no Ozai to dodge). It's just him and his family. Lastly, he is _not_ used to the weapons he has. While I think Kallik is good, I've already established he needs a bit of time with new techniques and weapons to become efficient with them. So instead, Kallik is using his brainpower and blending in. He's making Aang blend in, too (and Aang has demonstrated his willingness to disguise himself to get from place to place).
> 
> 5\. I am so happy they're back together. I hate having Kallik separated from the others. As for Iroh, Lu Ten, and Zhao... well. We'll get there. 
> 
> Please leave a kudos if you were entertained, and a comment to let me know your thoughts! Or, you can come see me, [@hanuko](https://hanuko.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr and tell me there. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	19. Chapter Eighteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“Come in,” he called. The door creaked open, but there was no greeting. Jee looked up from his paperwork then stood suddenly, snapping to attention._
> 
> _Prince Iroh regarded him coolly as he entered the chamber._
> 
> _“Please, sit down.” It was not a request._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! 
> 
> I'm back, here with an update. Sorry it's been so long! I have a couple other projects I've been focusing on that I'll be posting soon, and they've been taking up my attention. But I've been trucking right along with this one, although it's been a bit slow.
> 
> Thanks for your incredible patience!
> 
> Hope you enjoy. :-)

Zhao paced back and forth in his chambers, seething. Prince Iroh regarded him mildly while sipping his tea, and Prince Lu Ten was idly reading a scroll, a bored look on his face. Zhao could scream. How could the princes be so nonchalant about the Avatar breaking out of one of the most secure strongholds in their territory? 

“Commander Zhao, please, sit down and have some tea,” Prince Iroh said, gesturing to the empty cup across from him. “Nothing can be done until we receive reports from your men. In the meantime, we should all try to be calm so we can look at this situation with a clear mind.”

“Calm?” Zhao practically snarled. He paused and took a deep breath. He knew better than to treat the crown prince with anything other than respect. Even though it was Prince Ozai’s favor that won him his new position, he knew the Fire Lord would have his head if he knew how he spoke to his firstborn son. “Please forgive my temper, your highness,” the commander said as apologetically as he could manage. “It is difficult for me to be calm after everything that happened. With all due respect, I’m surprised you can, considering _you_ are the one who was meant to deliver the Avatar to the Fire Lord.”

Iroh smiled serenely at him. “You must remember, the last time I saw the Avatar, he was trapped in a temple that had a volcano erupt right underneath it. If the boy can survive that, this stronghold has nothing his skills couldn’t meet.”

“Luck,” Commander Zhao said with a slight sneer. “Luck let him survive the temple, and luck got him out of his chains tonight. I sincerely doubt that _boy_ had the skill to get out of an abandoned turtleduck pond undetected, let alone this stronghold.”

There was a knock on the doorframe. A lieutenant entered the room and bowed to each of the occupants. “Commander Zhao, I have interviewed the men found tied up in the Avatar’s cell,” he said. His voice wavered, betraying his nerves.

The commander raised an eyebrow. “And?” he asked, impatiently.

The soldier swallowed. “Sir, it appears the Avatar had outside help. One of our men helped him escape.”

“What?” Zhao growled. “Who?”

The soldier glanced at Prince Iroh nervously. “Well, Corporal Shen said that it wasn’t someone stationed here, sir. It was a guard from Prince Iroh’s ship named Hiro.” Commander Zhao looked over at Iroh and saw the elder prince was staring at the lieutenant with both eyebrows raised high.

“That’s not possible,” Lu Ten said. Zhao looked at the young man. He set his scroll down, staring at the other occupants, perplexed. “Hiro was one of the guards Captain Jee kept behind on the ship.”

“Indeed,” Iroh agreed. “There must be a mistake.”

“I, um, I don’t disagree with you, your highness,” the soldier went on. “But other guards saw this man and another soldier leave just after Commander Zhao’s speech. He introduced himself as Hiro again and said he had to check on your mounts. The soldier with him had a similar build to the Avatar, as far as I have been able to determine.”

“No, I am certain Hiro stayed behind,” Iroh continued, adamantly.

“Regardless, there is a traitor in our midst,” Zhao said, glowering. “Perhaps we should go to your ship and interview your men, Prince Iroh. We should leave no stone unturned in our quest for the Avatar.”

“No way,” Prince Lu Ten scoffed. When he heard no objection from Prince Iroh he turned to his father, raising an eyebrow. “Are you seriously considering Zhao’s proposal?”

“Whyever not, Prince Lu Ten?” Zhao asked, smoothly. “After all, I’m sure you want to get to the bottom of this as quickly as I do.” Zhao didn’t think he imagined the nervous glance Lu Ten gave his father.

Iroh cleared his throat. “Of course, Commander,” Iroh said, shrugging. “We can leave at your earliest convenience. My men are trustworthy, and have my full confidence, but if it will ease your doubts, so be it.”

“Thank you, your highness,” Zhao said, smirking.

* * *

Sokka hadn’t let Kallik out of his sight since he returned. Waking up from a fever dream to Kallik standing right in front of him made Sokka feel like his cousin was almost unreal. If it weren’t for the fact that the others knew he was there, Sokka might have thought he imagined him.

Kallik had returned to them relatively unharmed, but he was very quiet about his captivity. Katara thought he just needed time to process things. Sokka hoped that was the case. If those men hurt him, Sokka would show them just what happened when you messed with the Water Tribe.

It seemed as though the moment his cousin returned he was a magnet for trouble, like always. Kallik charged headfirst into danger, scaring off that platypus-bear to protect that stupid old man from getting hurt. Then that fortune teller got into his head. He half-sided with the villagers that listened to Aunt Wu because she knew he was spirit-touched, which made Sokka _crazy._ It wasn’t like the streak in his cousin’s hair was hard to spot. Then when the volcano was erupting, he stood _way_ too close to that lava, sucking the heat out of it until Aang pushed him away from the danger. The Avatar stopped the lava with a huge blast of wind while Sokka and Katara pulled a disgruntled Kallik to his feet. Sokka kept counting their lucky stars that his cousin was still alive. The older boy was doing nothing to ease Sokka’s anxiety.

Kallik was burrowed so deeply in his furs, all Sokka could see was a tuft of his hair poking out. It was unusual for the younger teen to be awake when the other was sleeping, especially so close to daybreak. Sokka couldn’t help it, though. He had been tossing and turning every night since Kallik disappeared. Even though he was back, Sokka worried that they would lose him again.

Kallik snuffled and sat up, the hood of his sleeping bag still over his head. He turned to Sokka, smacking his lips.

“Sokka?” he asked, hoarsely. Sokka smiled. Just a few days ago, he didn’t think he’d ever hear that voice again.

“Morning,” he whispered back. Katara shuffled in her bedding and rolled over, ignoring them. Aang snored on, not a care in the world.

“What are you doing up so early?” Kallik asked, pulling the hood of his furs down. He untied the braid in his hair, combing his fingers through the knots. Sokka tossed him a brush from his bag. Kallik smiled gratefully, brushing out the tangles quickly before tying it back in a loose tail.

“Guess I just couldn’t sleep anymore,” Sokka replied with a shrug. Kallik looked at him seriously before climbing over Aang to exit the tent. Sokka sat, listening to the birds waking with the dawn. After a few minutes, Kallik returned and poked his head into the tent, gesturing for Sokka to come join him. Sokka climbed out of the tent and they sat together before a small fire Kallik had built, silently staring at the flames.

“It’s funny,” Kallik said, now braiding his hair over his shoulder. “I couldn’t sleep on that ship. It was all wrong, and it kept making weird noises. The first night, I thought it was the soldiers trying to get into my room.”

Sokka swallowed, eyes wide. Kallik stared absently at the flames.

“The first time I was actually able to sleep hard was the night I found you all.” He smiled, warmly. “I was so relieved to see you that I just unwound, and I finally realized how tired I was from everything.”

Sokka chuckled. “Well you’re gonna have to share your secret.” Kallik looked up at him and quirked his eyebrow. “I still can’t sleep. All I could think of was trying to get you safely back with us. If we weren’t looking for you, or I didn’t have to hunt, all my spare time went to thinking about saving you.” Sokka wrapped his arms around his middle. “Now that you’re back, I’m afraid to take my eyes off of you.”

“Even to sleep?”

Sokka shivered, thinking of how vulnerable he was when he slept. Firebenders coming in the night for Kallik when Sokka was essentially useless did not bear thinking about. He nodded.

“Huh,” Kallik said, reaching beside him and grabbing a pot and waterskin. He filled it with water and placed it by the flames, then grabbed the grain bag. Sokka watched him busy himself with breakfast. It took a while for Kallik to speak again.

“That happened to me when Dad left,” he admitted, stirring the contents of the pot. “He told me the night before, and the whole night I kept waking up and rolling over to make sure he was still there. It happened for ages after he went away, too.”

“Really?” Sokka asked. Kallik nodded. “So what did you do about it?”

Kallik snorted. “Nothing. Just worked on carvings until I got sleepy again. It eventually went away.”

Sokka snorted. “What good does that do me?”

Kallik smiled. “It made you laugh a little.”

Sokka blinked, momentarily stunned. Then he started chuckling. The chuckle became a laugh that lasted long enough to leave him winded. His cousin was here, alive and well, so very serious, but still trying to make Sokka smile and feel better, like he’d always done. He grinned at Kallik, catching his breath.

“I’ve missed you, man,” Sokka said, wiping at his eyes.

“What’s going on?” Katara called, stepping out of the tent. “What’s so funny?”

“Kallik is terrible at advice,” Sokka said, smirking. Kallik rolled his eyes.

“Why is that funny?” Katara asked, sitting down at the fire. “Kallik has always been terrible at advice.”

“Hey!”

* * *

Lu Ten gaped at the scene before him. Captain Jee had a cold rag pressed against his face, grimacing as Hiro and Juruk hovered over him nervously. Iroh glanced towards the doorway that led below deck. Lu Ten was certain he was thinking of Kallik.

“Captain, report,” his father said, tucking his hands into his sleeves.

Captain Jee glanced back at the door as well and frowned. “Sir, I don’t know what happened,” he stuttered. “The kid convinced me something was wrong—some kind of headache or something—and the second I was close enough, he managed to knock me out,” he said, gesturing to his eye. “When I came to, he was gone. He must have gotten the key from my pocket.”

“Kid?” Zhao asked, raising an eyebrow. Lu Ten was more preoccupied with how a seventeen-year-old boy could get the drop on a soldier as seasoned as Captain Jee. The man had served with the Southern Raiders. It was almost preposterous that one poorly trained firebender could trick him like that. Kallik must have gotten really lucky.

“There was someone else on board,” Juruk said. “I pointed it out to Hiro, but we figured it was just another soldier that was meant to accompany you who had some last-minute duties to attend.”

“It must have been him, sir,” Hiro added, wringing his hands. “He blended right in—I don’t know where he found the armor, but we didn’t even look twice. It wasn’t until Captain Jee stumbled out that we realized something was wrong.”

“What kid?” Zhao said, looking back and forth between the guards and Iroh. Lu Ten clenched his hands into fists before slowly releasing them. He knew Kallik was clever, but he didn’t expect another escape attempt would come so quickly. He also didn’t expect it to be so successful.

“He’s gone?” Iroh said, frowning. Lu Ten could hear the panic and sorrow in his father’s voice. Captain Jee frowned and looked away, guiltily.

“I’m sorry, General Iroh,” he said, bowing his head. “It was my responsibility to watch him, and I lost him.”

“What is going on?” Zhao asked, seething. He was clearly trying to keep his temper at bay. Lu Ten frowned at his father. Iroh sighed and shook his head.

“We had a—well a guest, I suppose. On the ship.”

“A guest?” Zhao asked, raising an eyebrow. “Most guests don’t need a guard or try to escape.”

“He was confused,” Iroh continued. “He didn’t understand who he was.”

Zhao looked over at Juruk and raised an eyebrow. Juruk pressed his lips together. Sweat was visible on his brow.

“He thought he was Water Tribe,” Juruk blurted out. Lu Ten resisted the urge to smack his own forehead. “But he was Fire Nation.”

“What?” Zhao asked, slowly.

“He was traveling with the Avatar, but when Prince Iroh saw him, he ordered us to bring him with us,” the guard went on. Lu Ten watched Hiro nudge his ribs with his elbow, but it was useless. “None of us have been told why, but we all know he was a firebender, and that he was living with those savages from the south pole.”

“A firebender that fought with the Southern Water Tribe?” Zhao said, looking over at Iroh. Iroh sighed. “Your highness, why would you want to bring a traitor back to the Fire Nation?”

“How could he be a traitor when he did not know his own heritage to begin with?” Iroh replied, tilting his head up.

“And what heritage is that?”

Juruk glanced between Iroh and Zhao, rocking on the heels of his feet. Zhao pinned him with his gaze, scowling. After the span of a few heartbeats, Juruk snapped.

“No one knows who he is,” he said, panicked. “He just appeared out of nowhere, but his eyes—they,” Juruk paused and cleared his throat. He gave Iroh an apologetic look. “The men have been talking and—well…. His eyes are clear gold, like the sun. Like—like the Fire Lord’s.”

Captain Jee gasped and dropped his rag. Lu Ten had the feeling both eyes would be wide open if one weren’t swollen shut. Kallik certainly packed a punch. The captain looked completely taken aback. He clearly hadn’t noticed the resemblance.

“That’s not possible,” Zhao said, shaking his head. “The Fire Lord was always faithful to his wife—and even if he weren’t, he never traveled anywhere near the poles. Neither did Prince Ozai or Prince Iroh. How could someone of his lineage possibly—”

Lu Ten straightened his spine at the look of comprehension that came over Zhao’s face. He looked at Iroh with a wide gaze, mouth hanging open slightly.

“Commander,” Iroh said, smoothly, “we should continue this conversation in my chambers. Captain, please take good care of your injury. I’ll have more questions for you later, when you’re feeling up to it.”

“Yes sir,” Jee said, bowing to Iroh. The crown prince moved below deck. Lu Ten followed and Zhao trailed behind him, still stunned.

Only when they were safely tucked away in Iroh’s rooms did Zhao speak.

“Prince Zuko?” he half-whispered. “Prince Ozai’s son is alive?”

“We don’t know for sure,” Lu Ten said, when his father refused to answer. “We had hoped we would find more answers when we brought him home.”

“How could you find more answers?” Zhao asked shaking his head. He suddenly snapped his fingers. “The sages,” he breathed. “You would have them test his spirt, to see if he shares Roku’s blood.”

Lu Ten furrowed his eyebrows and looked over at his father. Iroh looked stunned at Zhao’s words.

“How could you possibly know that information, Zhao?” he asked, an edge of danger to his voice.

“In my youth, I stumbled upon a library with countless tomes full of knowledge and history. That was something I happened to come across. I thought it would prove useful, among other things.” Zhao said. He waved off Iroh’s concerned expression. “Don’t worry, my prince. I made sure to destroy all pertinent information about the Fire Nation after my discovery. No one will find any of our weaknesses there, anymore.”

“Father,” Lu Ten began, hesitantly, “does he mean the test that Aunt Ursa had to go through?” Lu Ten was very small at the time, but he remembered the sages leading the distraught woman away from a small, rarely used room in the palace.

“Is that truly important right now?” Zhao demanded. “How will we recover the Avatar, and the missing prince? We must discover the Avatar’s whereabouts at once. If this boy masqueraded as one of your men to free him, perhaps they are traveling together once again. We’ll be able to recover them both! We have to notify the Fire Lord and Prince Ozai!”

“We should not be hasty, Commander,” Iroh said, holding up a hand. “I would rather not raise their hopes. Finding their beloved son and grandson—a boy they believe to be dead—is wonderful news, but if I am wrong, I dread breaking their hearts all over again.”

Zhao tilted his head. “You must have some evidence, if only to convince the Fire Lord to allow the sages to test his spirit.”

Lu Ten watched his father hesitate before nodding. “Yes there are several factors at play that have convinced me.”

“Then we should notify them that we are aiming to secure the prince as well,” Zhao concluded. “We must act quickly in order to rescue the prince and capture the Avatar. You have my men at your disposal.”

“Thank you, Commander Zhao,” Iroh said. His voice was low, and Lu Ten detected a note of disappointment. 

“Perhaps I should interrogate your crew, to find out where the prince would have taken the Avatar,” Zhao said in a silky voice. Lu Ten refrained from making a face at him. It was obvious he was trying to get information about _them._ He probably wanted to know why they hadn’t informed the royal family about Kallik yet. “They may have overheard a plan of his.”

“There is no need for that, Commander,” his father replied, stroking his beard. “We already know they are heading north.”

“North?” Zhao asked, confused.

“Yes,” Iroh smirked. “The Avatar needs a waterbending teacher, after all.”

* * *

Katara finished handing the last pack to Sokka up in Appa’s saddle, wiping sweat from her forehead. Breaking down camp was easier with the four of them, but it was still hard work. She looked over at her cousin who was speaking with Aang, clearly perplexed. Sokka slid down from Appa’s back and the siblings joined the others.

“Wait, run that by me again?” Kallik asked. “Roku told you what?”

Aang bit his lip and looked down, scuffing the ground with his toe.

“He said the prince was going to use the comet to win the war for the Fire Nation at the end of summer,” Aang said quietly. Katara frowned, feeling her heart go out to her friend. He already had so much responsibility. Suddenly with this deadline looming over them, the pressure he was under increased immensely.

“Which prince of the Fire Nation?” Kallik asked raising a brow. “Prince Iroh? Prince Lu Ten?”

“He just said the prince!” Aang said, throwing his hands up. “Does it matter which one?”

Kallik opened his mouth to argue, but no sound came out. He closed it and folded his arms over his chest, frowning.

“I—I guess not,” he said.

“Hey,” Sokka interrupted, jabbing his thumb back at Appa. “We’re all packed up. Ready to start walking?”

Aang looked relieved at the change of subject and walked ahead with Sokka. Kallik took the rear, prompting her brother to periodically turn around to do a headcount. Katara couldn’t blame him. Losing Kallik shook them all. Sokka had been taking up the rear all those days Kallik had been held captive, making sure she and Aang were in his line of sight at all times. It took what appeared to be a very intense conversation with Kallik to have him switch to point and rotate their positions again.

Katara glanced over at her friend, still a little stunned he was back with them, trekking along the coast as if he never left. She let herself fall behind to walk next to him. Kallik was staring at the back of Aang’s head, a puzzled look on his face.

Katara nudged him. He shook himself and looked over at her.

“Alright,” she said, adopting her mother’s no-nonsense tone, “spill.”

“What?” Kallik asked, adjusting the bag on his back.

“Kallik, what are you thinking about? Aang told you about the comet, and what Roku said about how the Fire Nation will use it to win the war, now you’re brooding.”

“I’m not brooding!” he exclaimed, pouting. Katara pressed her lips together to avoid smiling.

“You’re kind of brooding,” Sokka called back merrily.

“Shut up, Sokka,” Kallik and Katara said together.

“Alright, sheesh,” Sokka said, turning his attention back to the trail in front of them.

“So?” Katara pressed after they had walked in silence for a bit. Kallik slowed down and Katara matched her pace to his, allowing the others to get farther ahead.

“You’re gonna think I’m crazy,” he muttered, glancing between her and Sokka. Katara grabbed his elbow, stopping him from moving further. He turned to face her, but was looking off to the side, avoiding eye contact.

“Kallik, look at me,” she said, firmly. He reluctantly shifted his eyes to look down into hers. “I would never think you’re crazy,” she said in her most serious voice.

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” he said, looking away again.

“I believed you about the Shadow Person,” she reminded, gently. “I believed you when you said you met Agni. What makes you think I wouldn’t believe you about this?” Kallik glanced back at her, letting out a small sigh. Katara was suddenly reminded of something her mother said, years ago when the men left.

_“It can be hard, being a woman in this tribe,” Kya said, seriously, giving her daughter some clothes to mend. “The men go off to war, the boys go out to hunt, and we have to keep everyone together.”_

_“Koro goes out to hunt,” Katara said, stubbornly, eyeing her brother’s tunic angrily. “And at least Kallik will mend his own clothes!”_

_“He does,” Kya said. “He does a lot of things for himself. I worry about him, you know.”_

_“Why?” Katara asked. “He can take care of himself.”_

_“Yes,” Kya said, slowly, “that’s true. Kyra and Bato taught him a lot, as well as the others in the village, and he’s always been willing to learn.”_

_“That’s why Kato wanted him to have Narok,” Katara said, feeling a sharp sting of jealousy. “He’s the only one responsible enough to keep him.”_

_Kya hummed thoughtfully. “Perhaps,” she said, pulling her needle and thread through the garment in her hands. “But then again, maybe Kato had a different reason for leaving Narok with Kallik.”_

_“What?” Katara asked, curious._

_“Perhaps he was afraid Kallik would feel lonely.”_

_Katara frowned. “Why would Kallik feel lonely?” she asked._

_“For the same reason he feels he has to be so self-sufficient.” Kya looked up from her work and offered a sad smile to Katara, who felt completely bemused._

_“Perhaps he feels like no one will be on his side.”_

“I’ll believe you, Kallik,” she said, softly. “I always have and always will. I’m on your side,” Kallik’s eyes snapped to hers, somewhat surprised, but mostly relieved. She felt her heart clench at the sad sight.

“Tell me what’s wrong, please?”

“Hey!” Sokka called. He was staring at them, brows furrowed. “Why did you guys fall behind? Catch up!” Kallik and Katara started walking, moving to rejoin the others. Kallik waved his hand, prompting Sokka and Aang to start moving again, which Sokka reluctantly obeyed.

“I don’t think Prince Iroh or Lu Ten would do what Roku warned Aang about,” Kallik said, quietly. Katara turned her head to look at him, quickly. She knew she looked surprised, but she couldn’t help it.

“What?” she asked. “But—but they kidnapped you, Kallik! How can you think they’re good people?”

“I never said that,” he said, quickly, looking flustered. She pressed her lips together, trying to contain her reactions. She just said it was okay to tell her these things—Kallik would never open up to her again if she messed this up.

“Sorry,” she said. “You surprised me.”

“Told you you’d think I was crazy,” Kallik huffed.

“I don’t think you’re crazy,” Katara said. “I just don’t understand. Why _wouldn’t_ they use the comet to win the war?” They walked together quietly for a while. Katara sighed, thinking that was it, and Kallik would button up like he always did. Then, he spoke.

“They were weirdly nice to me,” he said, shrugging a little. “They—they didn’t treat me like any prisoner I had heard of before. They ate meals with me, and they taught me a bit about firebending—who does that? Who teaches someone they shouldn’t trust? Plus, the captain of the ship said the reason they kidnapped me was to bring me home. They thought they were doing the right thing.”

“Kallik,” Katara said, hesitantly, but her cousin cut her off.

“Look, that’s not the important thing, alright?” he rushed on. “The thing is, Iroh is spirit-touched, too. And he—he knows about balance. He knows enough about it to know this crazy comet isn’t the answer for the Fire Nation, or anyone in the world.”

Katara opened and closed her mouth, shocked at what was coming out of her cousin’s mouth. This was the Fire Nation. They were savage. They didn’t care about the other nations at all. All they wanted was to conquer the world. How could Kallik think they wouldn’t take the opportunity the comet presented?

“I don’t think they’re good people,” he went on. “I’ll never forgive them for trying to take me to—wherever they were taking me, whether they thought they were doing the right thing or not. But I don’t think they could do something so sinister, not after the time I spent on that ship.”

“But—”

“The captain freed me Katara,” he said, flatly. “It was the same man who came to the village with those raiders looking for you, who ended up lying about killing the last waterbender. He held Lu Ten and Iroh in very high regard. He thought they were honorable, and that’s really important in the Fire Nation.”

Katara felt her heart seize. That man with the kind, determined eyes who promised her father that didn’t want to help the raiders—that said he didn’t know what they did with benders until it was too late. That was the man that freed her cousin. His was the only face of the Fire Nation that seemed to hold any integrity for her. If he was serving those princes instead, perhaps they had similar ideals.

Katara stared hard at her cousin. All she could see was a firm and serious belief in his face.

“Alright,” she allowed. “I don’t know if you’re right, but you know these princes better than we do.”

Kallik grinned, relief etched all over his face. Katara shook her head and hummed, thoughtfully. Kallik raised an eyebrow at her.

“If Prince Iroh or Prince Lu Ten wouldn’t use the comet that way,” she asked, hesitantly, “who would?”

* * *

Commander Zhao was preparing to go back to his own ship. Jee couldn’t express the relief he felt when he heard the man would be leaving. There was nothing good about him. He was thankful he let the Water Tribe boy go before the commander could lay eyes on him. There had always been rumors about his tastes when it came to _companions._ The boy had very little power here, and if the Commander got the opportunity to get to him away from the Prince’s eye….

Well, it didn’t bear thinking about.

Finding out he may have released the missing Fire Nation prince was lingering at the edges of his mind. He remembered that day, when the Raiders struck the Southern Water Tribe. He remembered the taste of soot in the air, mixing with the falling snow. He remembered the screams of the villagers as they ran away, firebenders blasting them as they ducked for cover. He remembered the visceral look of rage that was on Yon Rha’s face as he demanded Jee help him kill a mongrel of a child.

He remembered seeing wide, frightened eyes the color of the sun. He remembered the black marks on either side of him—evidence of a perfectly dispelled fire blast. He remembered seeing the moon’s touch on the boy, in the form of a thick, white lock of hair framing one side of his face.

The Water Tribe boy haunted his dreams when things were quiet. He knew as sure as the sun rose and set that the boy was fire. He knew it in his very bones. He also knew that the Moon Spirit claimed him. He was not solely Agni’s. How often had his father preached to him about balance? How often had he been told that all humans carried all the elements, and the separation was only an illusion? Everyone in that hut looked to protect the child, and who was Jee to say he had to come back with him? The chief called the boy nephew. He regarded him as family. Jee knew he was safe there. Despite all that, he still couldn’t help but think about him from time to time.

Then the boy appeared, all grown up, kicking and screaming as he was hauled aboard in chains. For the life of him, Jee couldn’t figure out why. Prince Iroh was spirit-touched, himself. He knew more about the other nations than almost anyone. He would know that mark on the boy’s hair meant the Moon Spirit touched him, so why did he decide he needed to be brought back? Jee chalked it up to instinct. Fire was drawn to fire. He assumed the prince was trying to act in the boy’s best interest. Now, Jee knew better.

If Prince Iroh found out that Jee had released who he thought was the prince—who he thought was his long-lost nephew—things would go very, _very_ badly for him.

Jee sat in his office, distractedly filling out his reports until he heard a sharp knock.

“Come in,” he called. The door creaked open, but there was no greeting. Jee looked up from his paperwork then stood suddenly, snapping to attention.

Prince Iroh regarded him coolly as he entered the chamber.

“Please, sit down.” It was not a request.

Jee carefully eased himself back down to his seat, hands gripping the arms of his chair firmly. His heart fluttered wildly in his chest. He felt sweat begin to form on his brow, but resisted the urge to wipe it away. Prince Iroh couldn’t know Jee’s involvement for sure. There was no way.

“So,” the Prince said, slowly, “tell me how Kallik managed to trick you again?”

“Sir?” Jee swallowed.

“He was chained to his bed. You said he convinced you something was wrong?”

Jee nodded nervously. “Yes. He complained of a headache. I worried so I decided to check on him.”

“And he knocked you out?”

“He’s strong. But then, in the Water Tribe you have to be.”

“That’s right,” Iroh said, smiling serenely. It did not put Jee at ease. “You would know, from your time with the Southern Raiders. How many times did you go to near the south pole?”

Jee swallowed. “Twice,” he replied. “Once in my youth, when I first got my assignment, and a second time many years later. We mostly focused our attention on the islands of the Earth Kingdom, as well as their coastal cities. There was no reason to go into such dangerous conditions unless there was pertinent information that a waterbender was in the villages of the Southern Water Tribe.”

“That second visit sounded dreadful. I remember reading the reports. Yon Rha struck down the waterbender, and in retaliation the chief struck him over the head with his sword. You were the sole witness to it all, weren’t you?”

Jee’s fingers tightened on his armrests. “Yes, sir.”

“That was your last mission with the raiders as well. You transferred to the regular navy after that.”

“What happened that day was… unsettling,” Jee offered, feeling sweat start to trickle down his face.

“And how long ago did it happen? Ten years or so?”

“Eight, sir.” Jee could feel his hands start to shake.

Iroh hummed thoughtfully, nodding his head. “So Kallik would have been alive at that time.”

“Sir?”

“I just wonder if you saw a Fire Nation boy at the South Pole, Captain,” Iroh said, tilting his head curiously. “But then, I imagine a sight so out of place would have been in your reports.”

“Prince Iroh—”

“Relax, Jee. I know you would have said something. You’re an honorable man, after all,” Iroh chuckled. Jee felt his insides squirm with guilt and apprehension. “And you are a kind man. I’m just sad to hear Kallik took advantage of that. I’m not surprised he used a stomachache to trick you.”

Jee let out a careful breath, slightly relieved. “You know how serious they can be.”

“Yes,” Iroh said slowly, frowning slightly. “Didn’t you know someone who left a sudden stomach pain untreated?”

“Yes sir,” Jee said, relieved he was on familiar ground again, even if he had to remember such an ugly incident to be there. “He didn’t make it to the doctors in time. Something inside ruptured and poisoned his blood.”

Iroh’s face became stone. He closed his eyes and looked away. “Commander?” he called. The door was pushed open, revealing Commander Zhao behind it. He loomed in the entryway, a smarmy smile on his face. He held a pair of shackles in his hands.

Jee stood up suddenly. “Commander, I thought you were leaving.”

“And miss your confession?” Zhao asked, raising an eyebrow.

Jee’s heart dropped into his stomach. “Confession?”

“Captain Jee,” Prince Iroh said, shaking his head in disappointment. “What did Kallik complain about to trick you?”

“A—a stomachache, sir,” Jee said, confused. “We just spoke about it.”

“And yet, when I asked you earlier, you said it was a headache.” Iroh’s face was smooth and impassive, like stone. Jee felt his eyes go wide.

_Stupid,_ he thought. _Stupid, stupid, stupid!_

“There can be no room for traitors in the Fire Lord’s military, Captain Jee,” Iroh said as Zhao stepped forward with the shackles.

Jee hung his head and held out his hands.

“What, nothing to say for yourself?” Zhao asked as he bound Jee’s hands together. Jee raised his head, resigned to his fate. It didn’t matter if that boy was the missing prince or not. He was Water Tribe. He didn’t belong with them, at least not anymore.

“You can call me a traitor if you wish, your highness,” he said, glancing at Prince Iroh. The prince furrowed his brow at Jee’s words. “But Kallik embodies a blend of two elements. He represents the balance we hope to achieve in this world, and he’ll help the Avatar restore it. I may have betrayed my nation, but I would gladly do it again if my actions helped save the world.”

Iroh looked as if Jee had struck him while Zhao pulled him from his chambers.

“If you’re lucky,” he murmured, “you’ll only be imprisoned. I think losing Fire Nation royalty will get you a harsher sentence, though. Don’t you?”

Jee swallowed and willed his heartbeat to slow down. There was no point in panicking about the situation.

It wouldn’t change his fate, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Writing Notes:
> 
> 1\. Ugh. Zhao is the worst. I don't like Zhao. I think he's creepy in canon. I think he's creepier in fanon. He's not a fun guy, and he will stab someone with those sideburns, I tell you. 
> 
> 2\. Poor Sokka. He's been at his wit's end through this whole thing, and then as soon as Kallik gets back, he's trying to give Sokka a heart attack. For those of you who really like the Fortune-Teller, sorry. There was not going to be much deviance from that storyline, so, I'm leaving it up to your imaginations what happened. :-)
> 
> 3\. Heh... so... I may have run into a problem, which was how WOULD they confirm Zuko is actually Zuko? I mean, someone pointed it out, and I was like "well, no one actually knows," then I thought to myself, self, _no one_ actually _knows._ How the heck are we gonna convince people in the Fire Nation of this, especially if some of them WON'T WANT TO BE CONVINCED??? So I had a bit of a crisis. And maybe talked with my husband about it to figure out a plausible, Avatar-universe solution. That will come about later. To sum up, I have to say TGIF, where the F stands for Fanfiction. ^.^()
> 
> 4\. Hear me out. Kallik is not fond of Iroh or Lu Ten. He's confused about them at best, because they were kind to him, and they were honest with him when it mattered. Also, the guy who saved Katara later on saved him, and he served the princes, so to me, it seems like he would give them the benefit of the doubt. He can't really fathom Iroh or Lu Ten doing something as evil as the Airbender genocide, which is what the comet was used for before. So he doesn't believe Aang when he says a Fire Nation prince is going to use this comet to destroy the world/win the war. Granted, he only knows two of them, so....
> 
> 5\. Ah, Jee. You beautiful man, you. Trapped in your own lie. He was stressed people. Stressed and possibly concussed. And _I'm-everybody's-funny-uncle-_ Iroh is a tricky guy. While Iroh doesn't agree with the war, he definitely believes his family needs to be safe, so Jee's interference is the worst betrayal, in his eyes. 
> 
> Hope you liked it! Please leave a comment to share your thoughts, and a kudos if you were entertained. If you want to holler at me on Tumblr I'm [@hanuko,](https://hanuko.tumblr.com/) so feel free to say hi. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	20. Chapter Nineteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“Is it Dad’s boat?” Katara asked. Sokka had reached the bow and rubbed it fondly. Kallik laughed, grinning at the sight before him._
> 
> _“No,” he said, touching the boat as well. It had been so long, he almost forgot what it looked like. His fingers trailed over the old, familiar scar on the wood. “This is my dad’s boat.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... I intended for this to be done a while ago. 
> 
> SORRY!!!
> 
> I had a couple of projects with due dates and deadlines that I _had_ to focus on. 
> 
> The good news is, they are just about wrapped up, so I can come back to this one!
> 
> Thank you so, SO much for your patience. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

“These tracks are odd,” Kallik muttered, stooping down to examine the dirt by the edge of the path. There were several broken branches and leaves. “I wonder who was hiding here.”

Sokka jogged over to Kallik and studied the ground, slowly following a trail down the side of the slope. Aang slid ahead of him and paused, grabbing something off the ground.

“Hey, Look!” he said, waving a weapon he found. “A sword made out of a whale’s tooth!”

Sokka darted over, eyes narrowed.

“What are you doing?” Katara asked, watching as the boys moved further down the hill. Kallik waved her down. Sokka didn’t take his eyes off the sword in Aang’s hands. 

“Let me see that,” he said, grabbing the weapon from Aang and looking it over carefully. “This is a Water Tribe weapon!” He turned to them and gestured out at the land behind them. “See if you can find anything else.”

They spread out, examining the ground for tracks. Kallik noticed more and more bushes with broken branches. It appeared a big group of people were hiding here.

“It’s burned,” Sokka said. Kallik looked up to see a blackened arrow in his hand. Sokka looked around, then ran to a tree, touching the bark with his fingers. Kallik settled back and watched his cousin work. He was the best tracker of all of them.

“There was a battle,” Sokka said. “Water Tribe warriors ambushed a group of firebenders.” The teenager looked at the marks in the dirt and started following them to the bottom of the slope.

“The firebenders fought back, but the warriors drove them down this hill.” The others followed Sokka as he tracked the trail down to the beach. Sokka frowned and hung his head. Kallik and Katara were both looking around, trying to see if there was anything left of the trail.

“Then what happened?” Aang asked, excitedly.

Sokka sighed. “I don’t know,” he said, regretfully. “The trail ends here.”

“Wait!” Katara shouted. “Look!” The three looked to where she was pointing, and Kallik’s heart leapt. There was a ship hidden amongst the rocks.

“It’s one of our boats!” Sokka cried. Together, they ran down the beach to the boat.

“Is it Dad’s boat?” Katara asked. Sokka had reached the bow and rubbed it fondly. Kallik laughed, grinning at the sight before him.

“No,” he said, touching the boat as well. It had been so long, he almost forgot what it looked like. His fingers trailed over the old, familiar scar on the wood. “This is _my_ dad’s boat.”

* * *

Lu Ten sighed, staring out at the docks. They had been searching for days now, but there was no sign of the Avatar or Kallik.

“Son,” his father called, “come now. Staring at the docks won’t make them appear. Come join me.” Lu Ten resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose at his father’s words. He turned around and joined the man at his makeshift table. Two cups of tea were sitting on it. Lu Ten picked up one of the cups after Iroh gestured for him to do so, taking a careful sip. He grimaced slightly.

“Who made this?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Ah, I believe Hiro brewed this pot,” his father said, voice slightly hoarse after taking his own sip. “It’s quite bracing, don’t you think?”

“He scalded the leaves,” Lu Ten muttered. Iroh merely chuckled, taking another sip. “Captain Jee was a lot better at this sort of thing.”

Lu Ten watched his father’s mouth turn down in a frown. “Yes,” he allowed. “It’s unfortunate he’s no longer with us.”

“Father,” Lu Ten began, trying to keep the bite out of his voice. He liked Jee. Jee was one of the most dependable men they had, and he didn’t beat around the bush or mince his words just because he spoke to the princes. Lu Ten felt his absence keenly.

“He betrayed us, Lu Ten.”

“He thought he was saving a child,” Lu Ten continued, eyebrow raised.

“He lost someone from the royal family,” Iroh said, voice turning stern.

“We don’t know that! Besides, he didn’t know who we thought Kallik was,” Lu Ten pressed. “Jee doesn’t deserve torture or death for his actions, Father!”

“Enough,” Iroh said, with finality. Lu Ten bit the inside of his cheek so he wouldn’t continue speaking out of turn. “What’s done is done.”

Lu Ten huffed and looked down, staring idly at the teacup in his hand. 

“I have already written to the Fire Lord about the circumstances,” Iroh said, quietly. “That hawk should get there well before the boat that Zhao put Jee on. Hopefully, my father will see reason and only imprison the man.” Lu Ten sighed and nodded, setting his teacup down on the table. There was no point in arguing further. After they returned with the Avatar and Kallik, he could find a way to help Jee.

Suddenly, a hideous beast launched itself on the deck of the ship, prompting Lu Ten to stand up so quickly, he upended the table. His father stood too, brushing wetness away from his beard and clothes.

“Out of the way,” a harsh voice shouted. “We’re after a stowaway.”

“There are no stowaways here,” his father said, gently. “I believe you are mistaken, miss—” the monster gripped part of the deck with its sharp teeth and pulled, ripping it away and throwing it into the sea. The soldiers shouted, all holding the position to defend, waiting for the order.

Lu Ten’s eyebrows lifted in surprise as he saw a man in a green tunic crawl out of the hole, running madly as the creature snarled at him. Then, in a flash, the creature lashed it’s tongue at the man, striking him hard enough that he fell to the ground. He stayed where he fell, trembling, frozen from fear. Lu Ten raised his eyebrow when the man didn’t rise. The woman who rode the creature dismounted effortlessly and stalked forward, intent on grabbing her mark.

“Is he paralyzed?” Iroh asked, curiously.

“Only temporarily,” the woman answered, reaching down and hauling the man up and over her shoulder. Lu Ten’s other eyebrow joined the first as he properly looked at this woman for the first time.

“The toxin will wear off in about an hour,” she said. Her eyes were dark and intense. Her long black hair was loose except for a loose topknot that was decorated with a hair piece that reminded Lu Ten of a skull. She wore leathers from her toes to her shoulders, but her outfit was tailored well, accentuating her curves. If it weren’t for the man slung over her shoulder, Lu Ten would say she had a delicate figure. But seeing her carry off her target, muscles bulging under the strain, Lu Ten knew right away that she was much stronger than she first appeared.

“By then, he’ll be in jail and I’ll have my money,” she said, tossing him up into the saddle.

“How did you find him here?” Lu Ten asked, dumbly.

She looked him up and down, then smirked. “My shirshu can smell a rat a continent away,” she said, hauling herself on top of the beast.

“Well,” Iroh said, “I’m impressed.” Lu Ten looked at his father out of the corner of his eye. His lips were quirked up in an amused smile. The woman cracked her whip and the shirshu was off. The two princes went to the railing and watched her speed off towards the town.

“ _Very_ impressed,” his father said, stroking his beard. Lu Ten resisted the urge to roll his eyes at his father’s leering.

After all, he was pretty _impressed,_ too.

* * *

“You should get some rest,” Kallik said as Sokka stirred the fire across from him. Once they found the boat, they decided it was best to make camp at the beach, in case there were Water Tribesmen nearby. Kallik tried not to get his hopes up. The odds were that if someone were left behind with it, it would be Kato, not Bato. Kallik remembered Bato was on Hakoda’s ship when they left the village. He would be sticking by him as his second. Kallik swallowed down his disappointment. It would be good to see Kato. He needed to tell him how Narok was doing when they left the village. 

Spirits, it would be _lucky_ to see Kato, really. Who knew if anyone was even here?

“Yeah, you should too,” Sokka responded, despondently. Nearby, Kallik watched Katara roll over in her furs. It was a clear night, so they decided to forgo their tent and sleep under the sky. Aang curled up with Appa. Momo snuggled into Katara’s side as they slept. Sokka had a faraway look on his face, and worried little lines formed between his eyebrows. Kallik sighed and moved so he was sitting beside his cousin. He nudged him carefully with his shoulder.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

“Nothing,” Sokka said, shrugging. Kallik narrowed his eyes. Sokka huffed as he kept poking the fire, intent on ignoring Kallik.

Kallik poked him in the side, hard. Sokka yelped. “What was that for?”

“Nothing,” Kallik replied in a mocking tone, poking him again.

“Kallik!”

“Tell me what’s wrong before I force it out of you,” Kallik said, poking his cousin in the cheek. Sokka swatted his hand away.

“As if you could,” he muttered. Kallik twisted and quickly wrapped the other boy in a headlock. “Argh! Kallik let me go!” he mumbled, pushing ineffectively at his arms. “No fair!”

“A good fight is never fair,” Kallik quipped, rubbing his knuckles hard on Sokka’s head. Sokka shouted and pulled, flailing his arms.

“Alright!” he shouted. “I give up! I’ll tell you!” Kallik released him and Sokka rubbed the top of his head, glaring at Kallik. Kallik smirked.

“So, what’s wrong?”

“Spirits,” Sokka muttered. “Worse than Narok after a treat, I swear.” Kallik raised an eyebrow, waiting for Sokka to continue. Sokka went back to poking the fire, collecting his thoughts.

“I don’t know,” Sokka finally said, putting the stick down. He gazed into the flames. “I just—you know, earlier today we talked about when the men left. You mentioned Bato told you the night before that they were leaving, and you couldn’t sleep, right?” Kallik nodded. “Well, between that and finding the boat—it made me think of what happened when Dad left.”

Sokka frowned. The flames flickered and cast his face in an orange glow. “I packed my travel bag. The heavy one for long journeys. I packed it while my mom helped my dad with his. Then I painted my face and carried my bag out to the boats. I was determined to go with him.”

Kallik frowned, heart heavy. Thoughts of his dad leaving, of Bato explaining why Kallik had to stay behind filled his head, refusing to stay quiet.

_“You’re practically a man now—”_

_“Then let me come with you!”_

Kallik blinked, coming back to himself. Sokka appeared to be lost in his own thoughts, as well.

“What did he say?” Kallik asked, quietly. Sokka startled and stared at him with questioning eyes. “My dad told me I couldn’t go,” Kallik prompted. “He told me I had other responsibilities.”

Sokka snorted. “Yeah, mine too.” He put on a gruff voice. “ _Sokka, you’re not old enough to go to war. You need to look after your little sister.”_

Kallik gave him a half-hearted smile. “Yeah, that sounds about right.”

“I keep wondering,” Sokka began, kicking the dirt with his toe, “if I were old enough when they left, would they have brought me along?”

Kallik gaped at him. “Of course they would!” he said, shocked. “Sokka, why would you think anything different?”

“Well, coming out here, meeting all these people—it makes me realize how much I don’t know. I haven’t even gone ice dodging! I don’t know about other people, I’m not as good at strategy as others, I don’t even fight as well as I thought I did.”

“Sokka,” Kallik said, slowly, “you don’t really believe that do you? You’re one of the most capable people I know.”

“Well, you know about twenty people, so that’s a great prize,” Sokka said sarcastically.

“Have you forgotten about the fake firebending?” Kallik asked with an arched brow. “Or how quickly you mastered the Kyoshi fighting style? Or the way you tricked the villagers and Aunt Wu into listening to you about the volcano?”

“Kallik, that’s not the same—”

“It is, but fine,” Kallik scoffed. “What about what Katara told me about how you dealt with Jet?” Sokka furrowed his brow. “How you saw right through his manipulation, and how you saved that village? That was smart, Sokka. That was clever and brave and countless lives are owed to you because of what you did, as well as how you did it. You’ve got strategy in your blood.”

Sokka kicked at the dirt again. “Yeah, I guess,” he said. “But it’s not like I only made good choices. I almost got killed on that boat. It was a stupid decision. I know better than to go out in a storm.”

Kallik scoffed. “You guys had no money for supplies! What were you supposed to do?”

Sokka looked at Kallik from the corner of his eye. “And I—” he hesitated, wrapping his arms tightly around himself.

“What?”

“I lost you,” Sokka said in a rush. “I couldn’t keep you safe. What kind of chief am I going to be when I can’t keep my own family safe?”

Kallik shook his head. “That’s what’s been bothering you?” Sokka nodded glumly. “Sokka, that was beyond your control. Things happen. What matters is how you act when they happen.”

“I didn’t even find you,” Sokka muttered.

Kallik rolled his eyes. “Aang told me the whole reason you were heading in this direction in the first place was because you noticed where all those Fire Nation ships were heading. You got Aang where he needed to be to get me back.”

“I guess,” Sokka said. He squinted at Kallik. “When did you get so good at talking to people? I could have sworn you were bad at this sort of thing.”

Kallik shrugged. “I’ve been getting lucky, recently.”

“You?” Sokka deadpanned. “Lucky?”

“Yeah,” Kallik chuckled. “I’m going to enjoy it while it lasts.”

A twig snapped. Sokka stood up and whirled around, stick held in front of him like a sword. Kallik grabbed Sokka’s club, which had been lying on the ground between their feet. The older teen scowled. _You just had to tempt the spirits, didn’t you?_

“Who’s there?” Sokka called to a shape moving in the shadows.

“Sokka?” the figured called. He had a very familiar voice. “Kallik?”

When he stepped into the light, Kallik felt the club slip from his fingers. He gaped as it hit the sand, blinking rapidly to hold back tears. Kallik had been trying so hard to tell himself that it was unlikely _any_ Water Tribesmen were still here, but he still hoped.

His hair was longer, and his face was more weathered. He was half-covered in bandages. The firelight flickered over the water-tribe blue of his tunic. Kallik already knew those serious blue eyes were examining him, taking in every change, every detail. His own were doing the same.

“Kallik?” he repeated, voice tight.

“Dad?”

Kallik knew he sounded weak and hesitant. He stepped forward slightly, not even sure if what he saw was real. Then Bato grinned and held his arms out, stumbling forward. Kallik’s eyes got wet and he charged forward, pushing past Sokka.

It was him. It was his dad.

He ran into Bato’s arms and hugged him fiercely. Bato grunted but wrapped his own arms around Kallik, drumming heartily on his back.

“Kallik!” Bato laughed. He half picked up the teen during their hug, making him laugh as well. “Kallik, my boy, you’re here! You’re here!”

“Dad!” Kallik cried, pressing his face into Bato’s shoulder and neck. He was _here._ He was here and real and _alive._ Kallik breathed him in, immersed in his father’s whole being. Two years. It had been two years. He forgot how warm his dad was. He forgot how tightly he hugged. Kallik had even forgotten what his dad smelled like, which he didn’t even know he _knew._ Woodsmoke and seaweed and leather filled his senses, and a tight vice that had been gripping his heart since he was fourteen finally loosened.

“What’s going on?” he heard Aang ask sleepily behind him.

“Is that Bato?” Katara asked.

“Bato!” Sokka cried, much closer than the others. Bato unwrapped one arm from Kallik to pull Sokka into a hug beside him. Katara was there, too, pressed between the two boys and adding her own arms into the mix. Kallik looked up to see his dad grinning from ear to ear, eyes flickering over the three of them until the finally settled on Kallik. The trio reluctantly pulled away, looking fondly at the man. Kallik turned to see Aang was watching them with an apprehensive smile on his face.

“Dad,” Kallik said, gesturing back at Aang, “this is Aang.”

“Hi,” Aang said, waving tentatively.

“Where’s Dad?” Sokka asked, looking around for others.

“Is he here?” Katara continued excitedly.

“No,” Bato said, frowning at them. “He and the other warriors should be at the Eastern Earth Kingdom by now.” A hard wind blew through, causing them to shiver. “It’s late, and this is no place for a reunion,” he said, wrapping an arm around Kallik’s shoulders. He started leading them up the beach. “Let’s get inside.”

“One second, Dad,” Kallik said, pulling away reluctantly. He turned back to the fire and pushed down until it snuffed itself out. When he turned back, he saw his dad looking at him with a raised brow.

“You’ve been getting better,” he said, smiling. “When I left, you could only do that with lanterns. You had to be a lot closer, too. I’m impressed.”

Kallik hid his pleased grin and shrugged nonchalantly before he rejoined his father. Bato slung an arm over his shoulder again, leading them away from the beach. He felt light. He felt at ease. A weight was lifted from his whole being.

Even though he was miles away from the place, for the first time in a long time, Kallik felt like he was home.

* * *

Iroh frowned at his son who suddenly barged into his chambers.

“Lu Ten, what is it?” he asked, standing up. Lu Ten was standing in the doorway, a triumphant expression on his face.

“The girl!” his son exclaimed, grinning. Iroh paused, momentarily confused before he remembered the encounter with the young lady from earlier. He grinned, stroking his beard. It seemed his son was afflicted with affection for the beautiful young lady.

“Yes,” he sighed, “she was like a creature I never beheld before.”

Lu Ten’s smile fell from his face, which twisted to show his displeasure.

“Father, please don’t talk about her that way. In fact, please don’t talk about any women that way unless they’re no more than twenty years younger than you.”

“She could have been twenty years younger,” Iroh said, a mockery of hurt in his voice. It had been a long time since he could tease his son this way. “She may have worn her age well.”

“Father, I am almost certain she was younger than _me_ ,” Lu Ten said, eyebrow twitching.

“Alright,” Iroh chuckled. “What about this girl? I doubt the Fire Lord would approve, but there’s nothing amiss with having a little fun, as long as you’re safe—”

“No, Father,” Lu Ten said, exasperated. “I didn’t bring her up for courting. I brought her up for tracking!”

“What do you mean?” Iroh asked, curious.

“She found a stowaway on our ship that we didn’t even know about,” Lu Ten said, a glint in his eye. “Maybe she can help us track Kallik and the Avatar.”

Iroh hummed, thoughtfully.

“Maybe we should pay her a visit.”

* * *

_It was dark._

_Dark, empty, and cold._

_He shivered, looking back and forth, eyes stretched wide. He vainly searched for something he could see, for anything that was separate from the darkness._

_He saw it from the corner of his eye._

_A human face, but wrong. Eyes and mouth looking at him sideways, the body of an artic caribou shifting into a man. It was the only thing he could see in the endless sea of black, constantly mocking him, just visible on the edge of his vision._

_“Relax, little prince.”_

_He whirled again and saw the Autumn Lord sitting cross-legged in the air beside their staff, their head bowed. He stepped towards the Spirit, heart calming at the familiarity of the body in front of him, until they raised their face._

_The red on their face was dark like blood, standing out starkly against the orange and yellow hues. Their grey eyes glowed bright and silver, like the moon. He felt a shudder run down his spine. The Spirit tilted their head slowly, mouth opening to form a sickening, sharp-toothed grin._

_“Come now, little prince,” they snarled, sharp teeth glistening. “Why so serious?”_

_He stepped back, heart ratcheting in his chest as the Spirit lunged at him, closing his eyes before he could see them devour him._

_When they opened, he was on the ship. Katara stood on a pile of coal, holding it out to the earthbenders._

_“Here’s your chance earthbenders,” she shouted. “Take it! Your fate is in your own hands!” The commander of the prison scoffed, but he didn’t only stand still and mock her. He punched forward, shooting a wave of fire at her. She turned, eyes wide and fearful at the blast of fire heading her direction._

_He shouted in alarm and tried to move so he could dispel the flames, but his chains were taut. His wrists were bound tightly together, like they were the first night he arrived on the ship. When he looked up, the captain was on the other end, tugging him towards the railing of the ship where they threw his machete._

_“You’re fire,” the captain said, with a solemn face. “You belong with us.”_

_A hand grabbed his chin and yanked him down. He was face to face with Prince Iroh. The old man was holding his chin tightly and twisting his head from side to side._

_“Is it you? Can it really be you?”_

_“Don’t touch me!” he screamed, jerking away. The fingers held on. “Dad? Dad, help me!”_

_“I have to go.” He saw his dad just behind the prince, walking backwards, away from him. “I have to help Hakoda.”_

_“Dad!” but Bato was gone. He tried to look for him, but those fingers held him still._

_“Look at me,” the prince said, sternly, trying to turn his head._

_He jerked back, hard. Hard enough to stumble backwards. He felt his stomach leap to his throat as he reached out to clutch the side of Appa’s saddle. They were going too high, too fast. He felt his head start to ache. He had a harder time pulling air into his lungs. His vision started to grey at the edges, but Aang asking him something important._

_“Everyone I know is gone, now. And there’s a war—why is there a war?”_

_“I don’t know,” he replied, thickly, trying to catch his breath._

_Aang turned around, eyes glowing, arrow tattoos shining brightly. He gasped and pressed backwards, feeling the wind start to pull him out of the saddle._

_“Why did your people start a war?” Aang growled with the power of a thousand voices. A whirlwind surrounded them, pulling him until only his fingers still gripped the saddle. Aang stared at him coldly, completely unaffected as the wind billowed around them._

_“They aren’t my people!” he cried, fingers slipping until they lost their grip. But someone caught him. He opened his eyes, feeling fingers on his wrist—no, he felt_ his _fingers on a wrist. Sokka got pulled from the saddle, not him. But he caught Sokka. Sokka’s wrist was in his hand. He looked up, triumphant when a flaming ball of iron punched through the clouds. He gasped in surprise and loosened his grip, letting Sokka slip away._

_“No!” he screamed, leaning out to grab him again, Sokka’s wide, terrified eyes staring into him as he fell farther and farther away._

_He fell and fell until he hit a soft pile of snow. He stumbled and shook himself, wiping at his face. Auntie Kya hated him now. The chief wouldn’t let him stay. He didn’t know what to do. He wanted these bad guys to just go away. He wanted his dad to chase them off for good. But most of all, he wanted his mom._

_His mom would hold him and tell him it was okay that he made fire. His mom would talk to Auntie Kya and Chief Hakoda and convince them he still belonged. His mom would protect him from these men who shot fire from their fingertips and called him a half-breed. His mom wouldn’t let the princes take him back to the Fire Nation, no matter what he looked like._

_He was almost at the door of his hut, heart pounding._

No, _he thought._ No, don’t go in—please don’t go in there, _but he was not in control of his body._

_He ran inside. His mother sat at the table and looked up, startled to see him. Her blue eyes roved over him, wide with concern, much to his immense relief. She was_ here. _Kyra opened her arms and he ran into them, clinging tightly to her neck as he hid his face in her shoulder. She hummed and shushed him, soothing his worries._

_“I’ll love you always, my little miracle,” she whispered. “No matter what.”_

_He sighed, heartbeat slowing as he snuggled into her warmth._

_Then he remembered. She wasn’t warm. When he got there, she was cold._

_She hadn’t reassured him, either._

_She hadn’t even hugged him._

_She couldn’t._

_His arms were empty. No one held him. There were no more whispers that things were going to be alright._

No _._

_He swallowed, opening his eyes._

_She was sprawled on the ground, a knife clutched tightly in her hand. A dark red stain pooled around her. Her head was cocked to the side, eyes wide open and unseeing._

Don’t, _he thought as he walked toward her. His boots stepped in her blood._ Don’t, please. _He didn’t want to go any farther. He already knew. He didn’t need to check again._ Please!

_He pressed his hand to her cheek._

_She was cold._

_“Wake up,” he begged, tears coming out of his eyes. “Please, Mom, wake up.” She stared vacantly ahead, unmoving. He sobbed, his heart breaking apart._

_“Please wake up!”_

* * *

Bato stared at the darkened ceiling, trying to get used to the sounds of others sleeping near him again. It had been weeks since he was with the other warriors. He felt like he had finally become accustomed to the silence when he found his son.

His son. Bato turned his head to the lump of furs next to him, where Kallik was sleeping. The boy was almost Bato’s height. His hair had grown from the top of his shoulders to the middle of his back. Where his face used to be round, it now had sharp edges and strong lines. The boy was practically a man.

_He grew up without me._

Bato thanked whatever Spirit told him to go out to the beach to check his boat, despite the late hour. Seeing blue Water Tribe tunics being lit up by the campfire on the beach was odd, but not necessarily unwelcome. Then he realized it was Sokka and Kallik, while they realized it was him.

His son looked as if he had seen a ghost. He looked at Bato as if he couldn’t believe he was real.

Then again, Bato was pretty sure he looked at Kallik the same way.

It was too late to trade stories. He would have to introduce them to the nuns tomorrow. For now, he just wanted to get the kids to proper shelter. He needed to get them somewhere safe. He took them to the abbey where he was staying and ushered them into his quiet room. It took a bit for them to settle down, but once they were all wrapped in furs, they dropped off to sleep, one by one. Kallik took the longest, staying on his side to look at Bato until he couldn’t hold his eyes open anymore. 

_It's been almost three years,_ Bato thought, staring at the boy. His son had rolled onto his back, limbs sprawled out. Bato frowned, wondering why the kids were in the Earth Kingdom at all, instead of at home. They weren’t safe here, not with Fire Nation soldiers at every turn. All they could tell him was that Aang—the Avatar—needed their help. They needed to help him restore balance to the world. It was like something out of a Spirit tale.

Kallik shot up like a fish leaping from the water, shaking Bato from his thoughts. The boy clutched at his chest, coughing and gasping loudly. Bato slid closer to him and gripped his shoulder. Kallik flinched and jerked back. His golden eyes were wide, still looking startled as he realized Bato was beside him.

“Dad?” he whispered. His hands were shaking. Bato slid closer and wrapped his arms around Kallik, patting his back.

“I’m here, son,” he said, softly. Kallik breathed harshly, but otherwise made no sound. He was shaking like a leaf. Bato held him and whispered soothing words over and over until the boy stopped trembling.

Kallik let out a shuddery breath. “Sorry,” he whispered. “I’m sorry.”

Bato shushed him, rubbing his back. He started to pull away, and Kallik let him. Bato examined his face in the dark. There was no evidence of tears, but there was a mild look of panic lingering in his eyes. Bato’s thought his heart stopped for a moment, seeing that look on his boy’s face.

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” he murmured. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“My dream?”

_I think you mean nightmare,_ Bato thought. He kept it to himself and nodded.

“Not really,” Kallik said, shrugging. “There’s—there’s not much to tell.”

Bato frowned. Kallik always told him about his bad dreams, especially when they were severe enough to wake him. Bato opened his mouth to argue but paused. Kallik was grown, now. He had probably been handling his own nightmares for years. For a moment, Bato thought he wasn’t welcome—that he shouldn’t intrude on something so private.

“You need to hear what happened for it to make any sense, at least for the bits I remember. It was weird,” Kallik went on, rubbing his eyes. “It ended with—with mom.”

“Oh,” Bato said. He gripped Kallik’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, son. I didn’t know you still dreamed about that.”

“I haven’t for a long time,” Kallik offered, quietly, leaning towards Bato. Bato let go of his shoulder and shifted so he could put an arm around Kallik’s shoulders. “The last time was just after you left. I—I guess I must have been thinking about her or something.” Kallik yawned and rubbed his eyes again.

“Do you think you can go back to sleep?” Bato asked. Kallik shrugged. His eyes were still shadowed. Bato smiled and scooted back to his own furs, stretching back out on the ground. Kallik raised an eyebrow but followed suit, pulling his furs over him. They each laid on their sides and stared at each other. The quiet stretched between them, only to be interrupted by the occasional snore from Sokka.

“There were some nights after battles that I couldn’t sleep unless I had my back against a wall. Do you think that might help you?” Bato asked. Kallik frowned and shook his head. His eyes darted between Bato’s bandaged arm and face. Bato reached over and patted his shoulder. “Relax. We all survived.”

“But someone hurt you,” Kallik muttered.

“Yes,” Bato said seriously. “But I hurt people too, Kallik. War isn’t a pretty thing, you know. We kill or get killed out there.” Kallik nodded solemnly. Bato adjusted his blankets. “Something tells me this isn’t the best time for that conversation, though.”

Kallik shrugged. Bato waited for him to speak, to be comfortable enough to open up about his dream and let the poison out of his mind. As the silence stretched, Bato found himself wondering what trials his son faced in the last two years. He knew the boy—all the kids they left behind—had an incredible burden to bear, providing for the tribe. Helping the Avatar on top of that meant Kallik had to have seen some harsh things in this world. He must have gone through unnecessary hardships. Bato grimaced at the thought of his son facing those fears alone.

_Never alone,_ he reminded himself. Even when he left the tribe, Kallik always had Sokka and Katara with him. Bato couldn’t imagine anything that would pull him from his family, and he was thankful for that. He knew that they would stick together through everything. Despite the danger he faced, at least Kallik was never on his own.

“Did I ever tell you about the time Hakoda and I tried to raise a tiger seal?” he asked. Kallik’s eyebrows shot up into his hairline.

“What?” he asked, surprised. “No! What happened?” Kallik’s grin was a sight for sore eyes.

“Well,” Bato began, “we were a little younger than you are now. Hakoda and I were collecting driftwood from the beach, when a tiger seal pup flopped over to us, barking and playing. Now, you need to understand, Kanna never allowed Hakoda to have any kind of dog, so he was obsessed with having a pet at the time.” He grinned at the memory, watching his son’s eyes start to droop.

“He had a pouch of dried squid with him, and decided he would bribe the pup to make friends….”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Writing Notes:
> 
> 1\. I love Iroh, but him lusting after a twenty-something year old girl (and I'm being generous with that estimate) was just... not okay with me. I mean, love who you love and all that, but... I mean... she's *young.* If she looked like she were in her 30s I wouldn't give a good god damn. But. She's... well. She's _*young.*_
> 
> 2\. I definitely changed the timeline a little bit here. In canon, it seemed like Bato found them at night, but it turned out to be early evening? I don't know... they're gonna be with him for about two to three days instead of one. This actually gives Bato time to create a water tribe feast. ;-)
> 
> 3\. I may have to go back and edit. I can't remember if Kallik was 14 and 1/2 when Bato left. I know that was my intent, but I can't remember what season I had Bato leave in, so I may have to fix it. ^.^()
> 
> 4\. What'd you think of the dream? Ever had some like this? When I remember my dreams, they are always in this bizarre sequence like this. 
> 
> 5\. Ah, Bato. The things you need to hear about your kiddo....
> 
> Thanks for sticking with me, y'all. I'm [@hanuko](https://hanuko.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr. Feel free to come by and say hi. 
> 
> As always, please leave a kudos if you were entertained, and a comment to share your thoughts. Thanks for reading!


	21. Chapter Twenty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“You’ve never been this jumpy,” Bato said, standing beside him. “Did something happen?”_
> 
> _Kallik winced and hid his face._
> 
> _“Kallik,” his dad said, voice low but firm, “what’s going on?”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, it's been so nice to be writing this one again.
> 
> There is probably going to be another update later this weekend. I've been on a spree. ;-)
> 
> Hope you enjoy.

Lu Ten grimaced as they entered the tavern, wrinkling his nose as they passed a group of patrons with a nasty odor hanging around them. He twisted through the crowd, his father in tow, trying hard not to sneer at every person who pressed into him.

“Doesn’t this peasant filth know who we are,” he grumbled, straightening his tunic as they approached the center of the crowd gathered around a wooden table, ignoring the stiffness creeping up in his leg.

“Son,” Iroh admonished, “mind your manners.” Lu Ten sighed and shoved forward until he reached the very center of the commotion. The woman from earlier was arm wrestling a man twice her size, and she wasn’t even breaking a sweat. Lu Ten swallowed and braced his hands against the edge of the table.

“We’ve been looking for you,” he said, smirking. The woman glanced at him from the corner of her eye.

“Oh, look who it is,” she said, smirking. “The oblivious duo.” A few men nearby chuckled at her joke. Lu Ten forced himself to keep smiling, not betraying his irritation at her disrespect. His father laughed loudly at her behavior. Quick as lightning, the woman slammed her opponents arm against the table. The action was met with a mix of cheers and groans as piles of coins were thrown on the table.

“You’re pretty cocky for someone who did such massive damage to our ship,” Lu Ten replied, puffing his chest out with authority. “You’re lucky we didn’t report you for that.”

“Well, thanks,” she replied, tossing her hair back as she gathered the coins to herself. “I’d pay to fix it, but I’m a little short on cash right now.” Lu Ten raised his eyebrow.

“Everybody,” she called, “drinks are on me!” The crowd cheered and clamored for servers, several of which were coming to the table to relieve the woman of her new winnings.

“Forgive my son,” his father said, smoothly. “What he meant to say is that we’d like to do business with you. We can pay you very handsomely.”

This caught the woman’s interest. She rose from the table, pocketing some of her winnings and leaving the rest behind to pay for the drinks.

“Let’s talk outside,” she said, gesturing for them to follow her. She led them out of the dingy room to the side of the building where her shirshu was tied.

“So,” she said in a smug tone, leaning against the wall. “I’m June. What can I do for you?”

“We’re looking for someone,” his father said. “Two people, actually.”

“Uh huh,” June replied, folding her arms over her chest. “Look, gentlemen, let’s not waste each other’s time. I can’t help you unless you have some kind of personal item that would have my bounty’s scent.”

“We figured,” Lu Ten replied, pulling the comb Kallik used out of his pocket. “Will this work?” he asked, holding it out to her.

She took it from him, raising an eyebrow. “I don’t usually go after ex-girlfriends.”

Lu Ten spluttered. “A guy used this!”

“Huh. Never been asked to find an ex-boyfriend before,” she said, shrugging. “Be careful who you spout that off to, around here. Not many people are very accepting.”

“He isn’t a boyfriend!” Lu Ten growled.

“He is a dear relative,” his father sighed, “who became confused and ran away. We’re trying to bring him home.”

“And the other?”

“The other is the monk he ran off with,” Lu Ten muttered. Her second eyebrow rose to join the first, and she let out a low whistle.

“Well that sounds like a story with juicy details,” she said, smiling slyly. Lu Ten furrowed his brow, then smacked his forehead when he realized what she was implying.

“No, that’s not—”

“What’s your price?” Iroh asked, cutting Lu Ten off.

“Nothing you can afford,” she scoffed, turning to her beast. She began untying it and tightening the harness. Lu Ten gaped at her. Didn’t she know who they were?

“We can pay you your weight in gold,” his father offered, smiling widely. June turned around and examined Iroh before marching up to them.

“Make it your weight, and we’ve got a deal,” she replied, poking him in the chest.

Iroh laughed heartily. “You got it!”

“Get on,” she said. Lu Ten helped his father up, then climbed up to sit behind him as June held the comb out to her shirshu’s nose. The beast snarled and drooled as it sniffed the comb. The bounty hunter took the reins and with a flick of her wrist they were off, speeding into the night. Lu Ten gripped the sides of the saddle tightly, holding on for dear life.

* * *

Kallik rose before everyone else, like always, despite the lack of sleep from the night before. His father was still in the bedroll beside him, snoring softly. He let out a relieved sigh as he got up. For a minute, he thought it may have been a dream.

He stretched and exited the small room of the abbey, creeping quietly through the space so he wouldn’t wake anyone. He smiled at the few decorations his father managed to save that adorned the walls. The little space reminded him of the lodge back home.

Once he was outside, he took slow breath, tasting the sea on the air. He couldn’t let go of how clean it smelled, away from all that smoke and iron. He lifted his face to the sky, feeling the sun kiss the earth as it woke for the day.

“I forgot how early you get up.” Kallik startled and turned around at the unexpected remark. His father stood in the doorway, staring at him with a puzzled expression.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Nothing,” Kallik muttered looking away. His heart was pounding in his chest. He willed it to calm down. He didn’t know what was wrong with him. “Just—I didn’t expect you.”

“You’ve never been this jumpy,” Bato said, standing beside him. “Did something happen?”

Kallik winced and hid his face.

“Kallik,” his dad said, voice low but firm, “what’s going on?”

“It’s a really, really long story,” Kallik said, shrugging. “A lot of stuff has happened—and I mean it just happened, too. I’m still kind of processing it.”

His dad stared at him for a moment, concerned. Kallik wrapped his arms around himself, waiting for his father to speak.

Eventually, Bato shrugged, then winced as he pulled his wrapped shoulder.

“We should take care of your injury,” Kallik said. “I think we have some medicine that will help, if you don’t have any.”

Bato chuckled. “I just ran out of salve, but I planned on getting more from the nuns this morning. Well, after I watch you wake up your cousins,” his dad grinned. “Is the look on Sokka’s face when you say _rise and shine_ still funny?”

Kallik frowned and looked down, scuffing his toe along the wooden deck.

“Who am I kidding. I bet it is. He always looked like an angry puffin-seal when you did that,” Bato laughed. Kallik looked up to see his dad watching him, a confused look on his face. “Or—sorry, do you do that anymore?”

“No,” he said, bluntly. Bato nodded slowly and shivered in the morning cold. Kallik looked around, making a flame appear in his hand.

“Do you have a lantern or something while we find your coat?” he asked. He frowned at his dad’s expression. His eyes were wide, and he leaned back, away from the fire cupped in Kallik’s hand. Kallik swallowed and closed his fist, smothering the flame.

“Sorry,” he said, glancing at his dad’s arm. “I shouldn’t have—you looked cold.”

“No, Kallik,” Bato said, shaking his head, the panicked look still in his eyes. “That was fine. I, uh, don’t remember you being able to do that. It surprised me. It was very warm though, and I am a little chilly.”

“Dad,” Kallik said, flatly. “I know that look. Sokka gives it to me all the time.” He pointedly stared at the wrapping around his arm and chest. “It’s pretty obvious something happened. Sokka followed the trail down to your boat. We know you got into a fight with firebenders. I just wasn’t thinking. I won’t—”

“Kallik,” his dad said, voice kind, “you’re right. Something happened, and I was severely burned. But you’re not them, Kallik. You’re not like the soldiers I fought.” Kallik pressed his lips together and glared at the ground again. His dad gripped his shoulder, making Kallik look up into his father’s eyes.

“You would never, ever hurt me. Not on purpose. You use your fire to help with laundry, and to prepare food for the winter. You use it to keep us warm. And now that you know how to make a flame in your fist, I’m willing to bet you use it to protect your family, isn’t that right?”

Kallik drew a sharp breath in through his nose before nodding. Bato let go of his arm.

“I’m ready this time. Show me?”

Kallik offered his dad a tentative smile before holding out his hand. After a moment of concentration, it was wreathed in flame. Bato looked at it curiously.

“How did you figure out how to control it?”

“It’s part of that really, really long story,” Kallik said, letting the flame go out.

“I still have to go get some salve. Why don’t you come with me and tell me on the way? We’ll let the others sleep a little longer.”

“Yeah,” Kallik said, following his dad to a different part of the abbey. He would find out sooner or later. Better it came from him instead of Sokka or Katara.

“So, I had an interesting birthday this year.”

* * *

Bato glared at the ground as Kallik applied the last of the salve, twitching slightly.

His boy was stolen. Kidnapped. Taken by those Fire Nation bastards, never to be seen again.

If it hadn’t been for Sokka’s quick thinking or Aang’s interference, Kallik could be—

_No. Don’t think about that._

“Why do you do anything they taught you?” Bato asked, trying to keep his voice even. Kallik glanced up at him before darting his gaze away to find a roll of bandages. He wasn’t quick enough to hide the hurt he was feeling.

“I’m not angry at you, son,” Bato said, as gently as he could. “I just don’t understand.”

“Dad,” Kallik said, carefully wrapping Bato’s arm in the clean cloth, “I—I can’t explain it. You wouldn’t get what it’s like to be like this.”

“Like what?”

“A firebender,” Kallik said through gritted teeth.

“Try me,” Bato said. Kallik huffed. “I’m serious, Kallik. Try to explain it to me. Try to explain how these—these monsters convinced you anything they taught you is beneficial—”

“It just is!” Kallik exclaimed. “Dad, do you remember how my hands would spark every time I got really upset or excited? Or how all the fires would flicker?” Bato nodded slowly. “And you remember how hard it was for me to light a lantern or a fire and how long it took me to figure out how to do any of that? The only thing that was easy for me was heating things up, or moving it around like Katara does with water.”

“I know,” Bato replied. “I remember.”

“It’s because I don’t know how to use my firebending. I mean, I kind of know. I know instinctively, but I didn’t understand how to control it.”

“Right, because you never had a teacher—oh.” Bato smacked his forehead. “They—they must have known you needed to learn.”

“It’s dangerous for a firebender to go around untrained,” Kallik said, sadly. “I learned a little—Agni showed me something to give power to my bending, but nothing to control it. Who else was going to teach me, except another firebender?”

“Agni?” Bato asked, both eyebrows raised high. Kallik shook his head.

“That’s another long story.”

“As long as this one?” Bato asked, nudging his son with his good shoulder. Kallik gave him a small smile.

“Not quite.”

Bato sighed. “So these princes just _decided_ to teach you to meditate, and let you watch them do firebending forms? They wanted you to watch them train?”

“I think if I hadn’t escaped, they would have had me participate, if you can believe it.”

“I can’t believe any of it,” Bato replied, shaking his head.

Kallik bit his lip and tied off the bandage. “Yeah. It was—well it was definitely something,” he laughed nervously. “I mean, it worked out. Obviously, I got away.” His son dropped the bandages on the table beside them, then gripped his wrist self-consciously.

Bato frowned as Kallik rubbed his wrists, wondering when and why he adopted this new habit. How badly did they restrain him? What threats did they make on his person to keep him compliant? “You can tell me if they hurt you, Kallik.”

“I know, Dad.”

“I’m serious. If they laid one hand on you—”

“I know,” Kallik said firmly. “They honestly didn’t. They just… kept me there. They gave me a comb and let me keep my clothes and beads. They let me bathe and let me out of the chains when we were far enough from land. Snow and sea, they even took meals with me. I think they wanted to show me the food wasn’t poisoned.” Kallik’s balled his hands into fists at his sides, betraying his calm tone and easy words.

Bato rose to his knees and pulled his son into a hug. “You were strong to endure what you did, Kallik. Thinking the others had died, then not knowing where you were being taken—that must have been very frightening.” He felt Kallik shake slightly.

“I’m okay, Dad. I just—it’s hard to talk about. I think the worst part was that I don’t know why they took me. When Lu Ten first saw me, he thought I was a traitor for fighting against his soldiers. So what did they want with me?”

Bato gripped him tighter, wishing he had the answers his son desperately wanted.

“I don’t know, son. But I’m glad they didn’t succeed. I’m glad you got away, and that you’re here with me, now.”

Kallik sniffed sharply, then pulled away and cleared his throat. Bato stared at him, still stunned by the changes that had taken place over the last couple of years. It seemed like just yesterday, Kallik would either be shouting or sulking. If something like this happened to the boy he left, he was sure he would be visibly upset about it for months (and for good reason! His son would have every right). Kallik was swallowing this down so he could press forward, like a young warrior after his first taste of battle. Bato wished there were a way he could tell him that it was alright if he wasn’t okay, even just a little. He didn’t think Kallik would want to hear it, though. Not many young men did.

“The others should be waking up soon,” Kallik mumbled, getting to his feet. Bato followed suit. “Sokka will freak out if I’m not there. He’s been really weird around me since I got back. He’s been worried.”

“I can’t imagine why,” Bato drawled. Kallik’s mouth lifted into a smile, warming his heart. “Let’s not keep them waiting, then. I’d love to take you all down to the beach. You can tell me some other stories, like meeting Agni.”

Kallik laughed. “You always liked Spirit Tales.”

“It’s not every day your son is in one!”

Kallik grinned, stretching his arms over his head. Bato’s eyes darted down to the new accessory around his neck. That was _his_ necklace. He remembered the hours he spent whittling the caribou bone until the moon wrapped around the flame just right. He remembered thinking of Kyra, and how she said the moon cradled their son and kept him safe when they couldn’t. He remembered the agony he felt as he gave the pieces to Kya, just in case—worried that he would never come back. He remembered the first few weeks at sea, hoping against hope that he would come home in time to be the one to give it to him—hoping he would come home at all.

Bato reached out his fingers to touch the carving he made so long ago.

He didn’t miss how Kallik flinched at his approach.

Bato stared at him a moment, hand still outstretched. Kallik looked mortified. He clutched the pendant then released it.

“Sorry,” he said, flushing. “Sorry—just, something—something one of the—it doesn’t matter. Katara gave it to me. On my birthday. She said that Aunt Kya strung it together, but you carved everything. I—I haven’t taken it off.”

Bato started to lower his hand, but Kallik shook his head.

“No, it’s okay. I’m okay,” he said. Bato put his hand on his son’s shoulder and pulled him in for another hug, tighter than the first. Maybe Kallik wanted to hear this after all.

“You don’t have to be okay, Kallik,” Bato said, softly. “You never have to be okay around me, not if you aren’t. I’m your dad. That’s why I’m around.”

Kallik trembled and pressed his face against Bato’s shoulder. He felt the boy’s arms wrap tightly around him. Bato shushed him, patting his hair as he held him.

“Dad, I was so _scared_.”

“I know, son. I know. But you’re safe with me, you understand? I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Bato discovered Kallik was not kidding when he said Sokka had started to worry about him now, once the boy appeared with a panicked look in his eyes. A sleepy Katara and nervous Aang were in tow.

Bato couldn’t blame him. He would have a hard time letting Kallik out of his sight, too.

* * *

“Why are we heading back to the stronghold?” Lu Ten asked, grimacing. His leg was stiffening up after being in the same position for so long. He tried to stretch it discreetly so he wouldn’t worry his father. “This is where they escaped from!”

“This is the closest place the trail picks up,” June replied, shrugging. Lu Ten hissed when they ran over some particularly rough terrain.

“Son?” his father asked, concerned. “Are you alright? Is it your leg?”

“I’m fine, Father,” Lu Ten sighed, rubbing his hip. “Do we have to go through the stronghold? We know they aren’t there.”

“Sorry,” June said, not sounding very apologetic at all, “but it’s the best way for Nyla to track your relative. Although, I’m not sure how to get in. The Fire Nation soldiers are a tough crowd, even for me.”

Lu Ten smirked as Iroh chuckled.

“I think we’ll manage,” his father said as they approached the gates. The shirshu stopped, pawing at the ground as a soldier leaned over the wall to look at them.

“Open the gate,” he called. Lu Ten looked around and caught the surprised expression on June’s face. “The crown prince has returned!”

“Crown prince?” she asked, flabbergasted.

“Oh,” Iroh said, stroking his beard, “I suppose I forgot to mention that.”

“Forgot?” June asked. Her voice went soft, and her dark eyes widened while her face paled. Lu Ten barely contained his snicker. She was probably realizing exactly how much she insulted the princes of the Fire Nation.

“My father is funny that way,” Lu Ten said as Nyla walked into the stronghold. Once they passed the threshold Lu Ten slipped down, trying to put as much weight on his good leg as possible. “Corporal!” he snapped. The soldier beside him saluted.

Lu Ten gestured up to the seat he just vacated. “Accompany my father and the bounty hunter wherever this beast takes them.”

“Yes, sir!” the corporal agreed before climbing up into the saddle. Nyla shifted restlessly. His father stared at him a moment before nodding solemnly.

“We will be back soon, son,” he said.

“Of course, Father.” Lu Ten waved them off before settling himself down on a bench so he could stretch out his leg. He needed to take any rest he could before they continued on their journey.

He had the feeling it was going to be a long one.

* * *

“So then,” Sokka panted, still recovering as he panted with laughter, “Narok started growling like crazy, right? And Kallik had no idea what was going on—”

“I still think that was really mean,” Kallik said, sullenly. Katara hid her grin behind her hand.

“—and all of a sudden, he started running at Kallik, and Kallik didn’t know what to do! And Narok bolted at him, then he leaped over his head—”

“—I didn’t know Narok could jump that high! It scared me half to death—”

“—so he could get at the seal blubber hidden in the clothes. Oh, man, your face—”

“A giant dog jumped over my head, Sokka! What face was I supposed to make?”

Bato was grinning widely. “That’s hilarious!” he exclaimed. Kallik gaped at him. Bato shrugged. “Sorry son, but hiding blubber in your laundry was a brilliant prank.”

Kallik pouted and folded his arms across his chest, huffing a little.

Aang stared between all three of them, a feeling an odd mixture of happiness and remorse. He really was glad for his friends. He was happy Kallik got to see his dad and that the family could spend time together, catching up. Bato had said something about throwing together a traditional water tribe feast that night and the other three could not look more elated. Kallik had caught his expression and assured him they would make sure there was some vegetarian fare. He also told him he would prepare the sea prunes, so they weren’t too salty.

Aang was glad at least one of them was acknowledging him.

The monk shook himself, pushing down the bitter jealousy he was feeling. It wasn’t fair to his friends. They abandoned everything to come with him. The least he could do was allow them this moment. He could sit back and watch. Monk Gyatso often told him patience would be one of the most beneficial skills he could use, later in life.

It was hard, though.

Bato reached out and touched Kallik’s hair, which was hanging loose for once.

“It’s gotten so long,” he said, frowning. “When was the last time you cut it?”

Aang gaped at him. Kallik’s hair being long was a blessing. In the Fire Nation, people who could grow their hair so long were said to be favored by Agni.

“Ugh, he’s been ridiculous about it,” Katara said, shaking her head. “He won’t let any of the women near it, unless they braid it for him.”

“Hey, I saw what Aunt Kya did to Sokka—”

“This is a traditional wolf-tail!” Sokka said, pointing to his hair.

“Yeah, but did you really have to get the sides of your head shaved to do it?” Kallik asked, smirking. “Because you know, Panuk also has a traditional wolf-tail, and he managed to keep most of his hair intact.”

“Okay, first of all, how could you possibly think anything favorable about Panuk?” Sokka asked, holding out a finger. He lifted a second one as he continued. “Second of all, you said this looked cool—”

“No,” Kallik interrupted, smirking. “I said the wolf-tail was cool. Before you shaved the sides of your head. After that I pointedly said nothing at all.”

“You’re a jerk,” Sokka said, flicking sand at him.

“And you’re all distracting me,” Bato said. His fingers hadn’t left Kallik’s hair. Aang watched him nervously. “Seriously, son, why haven’t you cut it?”

Kallik shrugged and flushed, clearly embarrassed.

“Well, you and Mom were the only ones who ever did it before,” he muttered. “I didn’t want anyone else to.”

“Oh,” Bato said, letting go of the hair. He smiled softly at him. “Well, since I’m here, do you want me to cut it today?”

“What?” Aang asked, surprised. He knew his mouth was hanging open and he probably looked really stupid. The others looked at him, alarmed. “But—” he cut himself off and snapped his mouth shut.

Kallik may be a firebender. He may have been born in the Fire Nation or the Fire Nation colonies. But he had said over and over again that he wasn’t them. That he hated them and everything they stood for. Every time Aang had brought up some fact about the Fire Nation and tried to apply it to him, he made this sour face and glared at him, and his glare was scary. Worst of all, Kallik only seemed to glare like that when his feelings were hurt, and Aang didn’t want to do that to him if he could help it.

“But what?” Bato prompted, watching him with concern. Aang shook his head.

“Nothing!” he said, laughing nervously. “Um—I didn’t see any of you bring scissors.”

Katara laughed. “We probably won’t cut it here,” she said. “We’d go back to the abbey. That is, if Kallik wants it cut.”

“Yeah,” he said, smiling. “It’s getting out of control. Would you cut it for me, Dad?”

“Sure,” Bato said, standing up. He looked out on the beach once more. “It’s as good a time as any to wrap up, and we need to start preparing dinner soon anyway. We should go back now so we have time to throw everything together.” The group packed up and left the beach, walking back towards the abbey Bato was staying at. Aang fell behind the group, watching them carefully. The envy at their comradery was climbing up his throat again, leaving a sour taste in his mouth. At the same time, he was concerned. He knew Kallik cared about Spirit stuff. Wouldn’t he want to know the stories before he cut his hair?

Katara turned back and paused, waiting for him to catch up. Sokka looked back, but Katara waved him ahead. He shrugged and walked ahead with Bato and Kallik, rejoining their conversation. Aang smiled at Katara, feeling that same flutter in his stomach he always felt when he looked at her.

“You’ve been quiet,” she said. He shrugged.

“Well, you all have a lot to catch up on,” he said, rubbing the back of his head.

“Yeah, but you’ve been giving Kallik weird looks ever since the hair thing. How come?” she asked. Aang grimaced. She really knew how to go after answers.

Aang laughed nervously. “What? No, I haven’t been weird. It’s just hair. Come on.”

“Aang,” Katara said, in a no-nonsense voice. Aang sighed and hung his head.

“I know you guys hate it when I bring this up, but Kallik is a firebender. And in the Fire Nation, long hair is a blessing. So cutting it is just really, really strange.” Katara raised an eyebrow at him. “Seriously!” Aang added, flapping his hands. “When someone acts without honor—criminals, and traitors—the first thing that happens is their hair gets shorn to show their crime. They don’t belong anymore, when someone cuts their hair.”

“Well, that’s not so big a deal,” Katara said, folding her arms across her chest. “It’s not like Kallik belonged with them to begin with.”

“No, I know,” Aang said, flustered. “I know Kallik isn’t Fire Nation, but that’s an idea that people have been preaching for ages. It’s said Agni himself has hair long enough to cover the sky. Cutting their hair is an insult to him.”

Katara frowned, thoughtfully. “Okay, so are you worried what Agni will think since Kallik is getting his hair cut?”

Aang sighed and twisted his fingers together. “Maybe?”

“Because Kallik has been getting his hair cut for years,” Katara went on. “And then he met Agni. Wouldn’t Agni have pointed it out if it were a problem?”

Aang opened and closed his mouth a few times, brows furrowing. Now that she brought it up, he supposed Agni would have said something, it if bothered him that much. Aang was sure this was something important from what he remembered of Monk Gyatso’s stories. He was positive Agni mourned when his children were sheared.

Kallik was water, though. He was just as much water as he was fire, if not more so. Maybe it didn’t matter what happened to Kallik’s hair, because Tui blessed him. Maybe La would love him regardless and wouldn’t let her brother worry over something so trivial. Maybe it was just a tall tale that humans told each other in the Fire Nation, and Agni didn’t actually care at all.

“Yeah,” Aang said, shaking his head and laughing. “Yeah, you’re right.”

“Look, Aang,” Katara said, seriously, “Kallik and Bato both honor the Spirits. He learned the stories at his mother’s knee, then he learned at Gran-gran’s when she passed on. Maybe it is important to Agni, but the truth is, Kallik doesn’t just belong to him.”

“I forgot that he’s water,” Aang said, embarrassed. “I keep forgetting that.”

“You should try a little harder to remember,” Katara said, making the same tsk noise her mother made when she reprimanded the villagers. “Kallik is more than meets the eye, you know.”

Aang nodded his assent and together they caught up with the rest of the group, who were waiting for them in front of Bato’s room. Bato patted the wooden deck in front of the sliding door and Kallik sat down, legs crossed in front of him. Bato disappeared inside for a moment then returned, a pair of shears in one hand and a small, sharp knife in the other.

“How short do you want it?” he asked, kneeling behind Kallik. He set the scissors down beside him. Kallik gestured to the top of his shoulders. Bato pulled a leather string from his pocket and tied it around Kallik’s hair, then sliced cleanly through it over the leather tie. Aang watched with wide eyes as Kallik’s hair came loose again, just above his shoulders.

Bato laid the tail down on the deck. “The nuns will appreciate this,” he said, smiling.

“Why would they want my hair?” Kallik asked. “That’s kind of weird, isn’t it?”

Bato laughed, combing his fingers through his son’s hair. “They weave the hair into wigs for the nobles here, and the money helps pay for their food and upkeep.”

“Oh,” Kallik said, shrugging. “Well, I’m glad I can help.” Bato picked up the shears.

“Alright, lets clean this up a bit,” Bato said, smiling as he snipped away. Kallik and him talked softly to one another as Bato worked.

Aang swallowed against the feeling of foreboding he felt as the black locks of hair were trimmed from Kallik’s head. Katara was right. It was probably nothing.

He tried not to pay any mind to the dark clouds passing over the sun, despite how clear a day it was. He was being silly.

Still, it couldn’t hurt that the Autumn Lord decided to cover Agni’s eye, for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Writing Notes:
> 
> 1\. I just thought it would be fun if June had this dawning realization that the people she had been antagonizing were the future Fire Lords. No? Just me?
> 
> 2\. Kallik's hair was half-way down his back, y'all. That's so... heavy. And I'm sure it gets in the way. And I'm sure that once it gets inconvenient for him, he asks for it to be cut close to Bato length, because like Father, like son. 
> 
> 3\. Iroh and Lu Ten on the prowl! Anyone else hearing the cops theme? Just me?
> 
> I really don't have any notes for this chapter. XD
> 
> Hope you all liked it! Please leave a kudos if you were entertained, and a comment to share your thoughts. I'm [@hanuko](https://hanuko.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr, so feel free to come by and say hello!


	22. Chapter Twenty-one

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Kallik didn’t even want to come home with them. Even if his father were right and this was Prince Zuko, it wouldn’t matter if they brought him back. It wouldn’t matter if this spirit test showed he truly was an heir of Roku. Kallik would fight them tooth and nail.... Lu Ten feared it might break Aunt Ursa to bring back her child, only for him to hate her._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really have been on a spree. 
> 
> I'm wrapping up Bato of the Southern Water Tribe and starting The Deserter. That kind of spree. 
> 
> So, double update for everyone. :-)
> 
> Enjoy!

Lu Ten scowled. He hadn’t gotten as much rest as he wanted before they were off again, this time pausing in an abandoned temple. He stared around the ruins, sneering at the wreckage.

“They must have lingered here,” June said as Nyla kicked up the dirt and ran back and forth in the wide space. “It’ll take him a minute to catch the scent again.”

His father watched him nervously as he rubbed his hip and thigh.

“We can rest for a moment, son—”

“I’m fine,” he said through gritted teeth. “We don’t have time, anyway. The sooner we find Kallik and the Avatar, the sooner we can start heading home, and the less either of us will have to worry about my leg.” Lu Ten swallowed back a sigh as he said this, upset he was worrying him. As trying as Iroh was, Lu Ten never wanted to distress him like this. 

His father was complicated and confusing. His opinions of the war fringed along the edges disagreement with the Fire Lord, but he knew better than to say something blatant. Iroh would subtly debate those around him about the war, implying the overall uselessness of it. He did the same thing to Lu Ten about capturing the Avatar, trying to make him question the true ramifications of this mission. At first, Lu Ten ignored him, but seeing the Avatar was a child gave him pause. It was still his mission, though, and one he needed to follow through on.

Kallik though… well. Kallik didn’t even want to come home with them. Even if his father were right and this was Prince Zuko, it wouldn’t matter if they brought him back. It wouldn’t matter if this spirit test showed he truly was an heir of Roku. Kallik would fight them tooth and nail. He would turn away from their family and scorn them until he was released or killed. Knowing Grandfather, it was more likely he would be locked up until he regained his senses, even though Kallik would be in the right. Lu Ten feared it might break Aunt Ursa to bring back her child, only for him to hate her.

“So the stories are true, then?” June asked as Nyla snuffled the ground. She gazed back at Lu Ten with a curious look on her face. “They say at Ba Sing Se that you almost lost your leg. That you almost lost your life as well.”

Lu Ten frowned and looked away. He rubbed his thigh again, insecurity racing through him. It was uncomfortable, thinking of how close to death he was.

“My son suffered much hardship after the siege,” Iroh said, seriously. “I’m surprised so much of the story has been told in the colonies.”

“It’s been told all over the Earth Kingdom,” June said, shrugging. “No one knows how the prince survived.”

“It was truly a miracle,” his father said in a low voice. His tone was almost reverent. “And it is not something I will ever take for granted.”

This was why he still followed his father, even though his opinions were strange and sometimes bordered on treason. He barely knew the hardships his father endured to save his life. Short of dreaming up a white and red face, he didn’t remember anything between the rockslide and waking up at home. But his father had clearly gone through trials. He had aged tremendously, and he looked very tired when Lu Ten finally opened his eyes.

“Me either,” he added, solemnly. Lu Ten had always fought for the Fire Nation. He knew the role he would take in the years to come after his grandfather and father passed. He knew after everything Iroh sacrificed that he had to do the man proud. He knew where his loyalties belonged, despite everything that had happened recently. His father always came through, before. Lu Ten was certain he would do so again. He would either see sense about Kallik, or he would convince Lu Ten to see sense about Zuko. Lu Ten wouldn’t leave him, no matter how they disagreed.

Nyla reared back, making Lu Ten grip the saddle nervously.

“He’s got him again. Hang on!” June cried as they raced away from the ruin.

Iroh was a good man. When the time came, he would do what was right.

* * *

“There’s something I should tell you kids,” Bato said as they settled down to eat. Aang looked at his bowl of sea prunes, stirring it half-heartedly as the others sat closer to each other to exchange stories, but without telling him any of the details. Earlier in the day, Katara had filled in some of the gaps as Sokka and Kallik babbled excitedly with Bato, but now she was caught up in the stories as well, laughing about the little pieces they were never told as children. Aang was trying his best not to feel resentful as they passed around dried meats and scooped up bowls of stewed sea prunes. At least they weren’t as salty as Aang expected. Kallik made sure to take over the one thing Aang could eat and make it palatable for him, remembering his original aversion to them back at their village.

“I’m expecting a message from your father,” he continued. Aang sat up straight and stared at them with wide eyes.

“Really?” Katara asked, excitedly.

“When?” Sokka asked.

“Any day now,” Bato said, voice sincere. “Your father said he’d send a message when they found a rendezvous point. If you wait here until the message arrives, you can come with me, and see your father again.”

“Wow,” Sokka breathed. “It’s been over two years since we’ve seen Dad!” He threw his hands over his head, happily. “Katara!”

“I do really miss him,” Katara said, softly. “It would be great to see Dad.”

“It’s been far too long,” Bato said, looking over at Kallik fondly. He smiled broadly and ducked a little when his dad ruffled his hair. Aang sighed and quietly left the room as Bato went on to explain how quickly they could see Chief Hakoda again. He wandered down to the beach, heart heavy. Finally, he stopped at Bato’s boat and climbed up it, seating himself on the bow.

Of course they wanted to see their dad. Aang wasn’t _really_ their family. He was silly to think they would stay with him, when they were so close to their own people.

An ostrich-horse squealed in the distance, making Aang look up. A man in Earth Kingdom armor was approaching. He stopped the bird beside the boat, looking up at Aang curiously.

“I’m looking for Bato of the Water Tribe,” he said, seriously.

“Oh,” Aang replied. “I know Bato.”

“Make sure he gets this,” the man said, holding a scroll up to Aang. As soon as it was in the monk’s hand the messenger sped off down the beach. Aang unrolled the paper, frowning when he saw a map.

“Wait,” he said, as Momo peered at the paper too, “this is the map to Sokka and Katara’s dad!” Momo chittered at him.

Suddenly, all the bitterness he felt building up all day long came to a head. He balled up the paper and shoved it into his robes, frowning hard at the ground.

_They can’t leave me,_ he thought desperately. _I won’t let them_. _I can’t be alone again._ He shook himself and jumped down from the boat, figuring he should get back before anyone missed him.

He was surprised to see Katara and Sokka wandering down the path.

“Aang!” Katara called.

“Hey buddy, where’d you go?” Sokka asked, perplexed. Aang’s eyes widened. Maybe he was wrong. Clearly his friends missed him after all.

“Oh, just—stepped out for some air,” he said, ignoring the wad of paper pressed against his chest. He smiled brightly. “Sorry if I worried you guys—”

“We weren’t worried. We didn’t even realize you left until we did,” Katara said. Aang frowned again. “Actually, we’re here because, um,” she trailed off, looking out in the distance.

“Kallik and his dad needed to talk,” Sokka said, grimacing. “And, uh, it’s kind of private. So here we are!”

“Oh,” Aang replied, scratching his chin. “What are they talking about? Why can’t they talk in front of you?”

“Trust me, Aang” Katara said, face serious. “You don’t want to know.”

* * *

“I just found you again!” Bato shouted, throwing up his good arm.

“Actually, it’s more like _I_ found _you_ ,” Kallik muttered, folding his arms over his chest.

“Bleeding Hog-monkeys, Kallik! You decide to just up and leave home, go on some crazy quest with the Avatar—who happens to be an _actual_ child—get kidnapped by Fire Nation princes…. What, am I just supposed to be okay with you continuing on this incredibly dangerous journey to get him to the North Pole?”

“Well, I was just supposed to be _okay_ with you abandoning me to go fight in the war, so yeah. I think you’re just supposed to be _okay_ with this.” Kallik said, stubbornly, eyes flashing.

“That’s not fair,” Bato said, frowning. “You know why I had to leave. Hakoda needed me, and I couldn’t bring you. It wasn’t safe. You were too young!”

“Aang needs _me_! And I’m not too young now.”

“You’re my child! How can you expect—”

“I’m not a child!” Kallik shouted, standing up. His hands were balled into fists at his side. “I haven’t been a child for a long time. It’s kind of hard to be a kid when the second after you go ice dodging, you’re suddenly responsible for the well-being of the whole village!”

“Kallik, listen,” Bato tried, but Kallik wasn’t having it. He let out a harsh breath through his nose, and Bato’s eyes widened when he saw smoke hovering around his nostrils.

His son had never just… smoked, before.

“No, you listen!” Kallik said, hotly. “Aang needs us, Dad. He needs our help. He’s too young to do this alone, and I’ve been traveling with him long enough to know he’s gonna get in trouble without us looking out for him! It's not just because he's living like it's a hundred years ago, either! Practically every village we’ve stopped at has been, “ _Oh, Avatar, help us with this. Oh Avatar, help us with that_. The whole reason me and Sokka ended up in the Spirit World was because some village was terrorized by a Spirit that Aang had no idea what to do with!”

“Exactly!” Bato exclaimed. “ _You_ wound up in the Spirit World. _Sokka_ wound up in the Spirit World. Who knows what else will happen to you if you keep traveling with him? It’s dangerous, Kallik. I can’t let you.”

Kallik took a deep breath and closed his eyes, letting it out slowly. Bato sighed, glad his son was coming to his senses.

“No, Dad,” Kallik said, leveling a stare at him that would freeze a lesser man. “You can’t stop me.”

Bato gaped at him as Kallik spun on his heel and marched out of the room, slamming the sliding door behind him.

* * *

Iroh tried to keep his expression neutral as they entered the little village. Nyla kept moving between the solid wall of lava rock that bordered one side and an inn near the opposite edge of town, running up and down the streets between.

“What is he doing?” Lu Ten asked, scratching his head.

“Your friend spent a lot of time here,” June said. “He can smell his scent all over town.”

Zuko stayed here for a while, then. Probably while Iroh and Lu Ten were planning their next move to get him back. Well, while _Iroh_ was planning their next move to get him back. Lu Ten was very resistant to the idea. Ever since Iroh had turned Jee in for his crime, Lu Ten had been very reserved with him. Iroh was certain he was right. Bringing Zuko back home was important. Even if what Agni said about Ozai was true, his father and sister-in-law both cared dearly for the boy. How much damage could Ozai do?

Iroh frowned at the thought. He knew _exactly_ what kind of damage Ozai could do, not just with his hands, but his words as well. Iroh had a difficult time imagining him laying those weapons against his own son, but the Spirits hadn’t led him astray so far. He would have to consider his actions against this message from Agni very carefully.

Nyla paused by a large house in the center of the village—the one building the shirshu had been ignoring so far. A woman about his age stood at the doorway. She winked up at Iroh. Iroh smiled at her, trying to ignore the sense of _other_ he felt from her. Perhaps it was because he was Spirit-touched, but Iroh had trouble with Oracles since he saved Lu Ten’s spirit.

“Care to hear your fortune, handsome?” she asked.

He would love to know where to find Zuko so he could bring him home. He wanted to know how far away Zhao was, because he didn’t trust that man anywhere near his nephew. He wanted to know information he didn’t have about the war, with so many boats going farther and farther north.

A secret foreboding shivered up his spine. Perhaps it would be better not to tempt fate.

“At my age, there’s only one big surprise left,” he said, smirking down at her. “I’d rather leave it a mystery.” The woman chuckled as Nyla reared back and took off again, hiding her smile behind her hand.

Iroh chuckled at the grumbling Lu Ten was doing behind him.

* * *

Kallik couldn’t remember the last time he was so angry.

And at his dad, of all people.

He had to get out of there. He was suffocating under the weight of his father’s presence. How dare he think he could make decisions for him, now? How dare he just swan in, as if he hadn’t left him all those years ago to take care of the village in his absence?

It was bad enough that Sokka couldn’t even let him breathe on his own, the past few days. Now his dad was doing it too.

_“You can’t take Aang to the North Pole. You’re rejoining the warriors with me.”_

_“Dad, I’m not just going to abandon him—”_

_“Absolutely not.”_

“Absolutely not,” Kallik seethed, muttering under his breath. “ _Absolutely not,_ like he can have any say. Like he’s been around. Like he’s the one going to the islands for dogwood, or hunting for the village, or watching the children while the mothers go crabbing—”

“Hey.”

Kallik tensed and wrapped his arms tightly around himself, glaring at the ocean. The moon was shining brightly overhead, now waning and just shy of full. The bright light reflected off the water.

“Can I sit down?”

Kallik shrugged. It was a free beach after all. Katara sidled up next to him, shivering slightly in the night air. He let out a deliberate breath, warming the space around him.

“Thanks.”

He nodded but said nothing, not moving from his position. For a while, the two of them sat quietly, listening to the waves crash against the shore. It was peaceful out here, away from everyone else. Kallik felt his heartbeat start to slow down as his breaths evened out.

“You know,” Katara said, carefully, “I was really upset when Dad left.” Kallik glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She was looking at him, blue eyes wide and concerned. There was a small frown on her face. “Mom cried. She cried so hard. I think the last time I saw her cry like that was when—well, you know.”

Kallik nodded once. Katara didn’t need to say anything else. Aunt Kya had broken down when she thought none of them were close enough to hear her on the night his mom died. She didn’t know that Katara was sitting with Kallik outside their hut, hugging him through his own tears as the woman mourned the loss of her best friend. 

“Sokka was so proud of Dad,” she said, looking back out at sea. “ _Dad’s so brave,_ he would say. _Dad’s gonna beat back the Fire Nation._ Meanwhile, Mom was crying her eyes out every night because Dad just left us.”

“They had to go,” Kallik said, numbly. “They had to do something. Otherwise, we all would have been in danger.”

“I know,” Katara said, bitterly. “That’s the worst part. Even then, I _knew_ why Dad left. I knew what he was doing was important.” She quickly dashed at her eyes, and Kallik pretended not to see the wet trails that still lingered on her face. She wouldn’t want him to point them out. “But it still hurt.”

Kallik felt his throat tighten as he looked away. He swallowed against the lump that had appeared there.

“Yeah. It did.”

“I’m so angry at Dad for leaving us behind,” Katara admitted. “I’m angry he hadn’t written for a year, letting us think the worst. I’m angry at Uncle Bato for doing the same to you. For making you think that you were alone.”

“I wasn’t alone,” Kallik said, nudging her. “I had you, and Sokka, and Aunt Kya—”

“Kallik, Bato is your _dad_ ,” Katara said, plainly. “You already lost your mom. I know you were lonely, even though you had us. You’re not as good at hiding your feelings as you think you are.”

Kallik huffed but didn’t disagree. “I’m… I’m angry too,” he admitted. “He—you know what he said to me the night before he left?” Katara shook her head. “He said that I was a man. That I had to take care of the tribe while he was gone, because I was old enough and strong enough to do it.” He glared at the dark horizon, watching the waves crash against the shore.

“How can he have used that as an excuse to leave me behind, then the second we see him again decide that I’m not capable of making my own decisions?” Kallik asked, confused and hurt all over again, knowing Katara didn’t have an answer for him.

“I don’t know,” Katara said. “How can Sokka watch me get better at waterbending every day, to the point where I can fight the soldiers we come across, but think I need protection from a boy?”

“Hey, that Jet guy sounded really suspicious—”

“Not you too,” she groaned, pressing her face into her hands. “I can take care of myself, you know.”

Kallik sighed. “Yeah, I know.” He glanced over and saw her peering up at him.

“You can protect yourself, too,” she said. “But sometimes, it’s hard for the people who are used to taking care of us to notice that.” Kallik stared glumly at the ocean again. “It’s hard for them to let go.”

“Yeah, but he already did,” Kallik said, sullenly. His fingers drifted to the necklace, stroking the lines carved into the pendant.

“They both did,” Katara said, frowning again. “My dad and yours. But they still love us and want what’s best for us, right? Is it so bad that he wants to take care of you?”

Kallik huffed out a small laugh. “No,” he said. It would never be bad that his dad wanted him to be safe and secure. In some ways, Kallik wished he could stay. He wished he could join his dad with the fleet so he wouldn’t have to leave his side. He wanted to be next to him to put out any other flames that came his way. Of course Bato felt the same way, especially when it came to wayward Fire Nation princes who seemed to want to kidnap him.

Katara leaned over and gave him a one-armed hug before standing up. She held her hand out to him, and he gripped it so she could help him to his feet.

“Come on,” she said, leading him back toward the abbey. “We’re not gonna be here much longer. We can’t leave with a fight between you guys.”

“Yeah,” Kallik replied, following her. They walked together in silence, the sounds of the ocean drawing farther and farther away, until it was a whisper behind them.

“Katara?” Kallik asked, glancing at her. Katara looked at him inquisitively.

“Thanks,” he said. “You’re a good friend.”

“Better than Sokka?”

“As long as he keeps hovering over me like I’m about to keel over, you’ll be infinitely better than Sokka.”

Katara’s laugh was very loud in the quiet of the night.

* * *

Kallik had risen early again. Bato looked around, both unsurprised and dismayed when his son was nowhere to be found.

Katara had managed to drag him back to the abbey, but he was stiff and quiet, bristling like an angry leopard-caribou cub when Bato got too close.

Bato thought long and hard about one of the things his son had shouted—about a pain he had been carrying in his heart this whole time.

_“I was just supposed to be okay with you abandoning me—”_

Kallik thought Bato abandoned him. He felt somewhere deep in his soul that Bato had decided to leave him behind without a care. Kallik thought his father chose him to be responsible for an entire village, and that he deserted him while he took on the task. It was like he didn’t know how much it killed Bato inside, watching his son get smaller and smaller as their boats sailed away, until he disappeared completely. It was like Kallik didn’t think Bato loved him enough to stay.

Bato, who mourned the loss of his nameless daughter as keenly as his late wife. Bato, who begged the Spirits to give him a second chance. Bato, who stared stubbornly into his best friend’s eyes as a pudgy Kallik tugged his hair, demanding permission to bring him home.

_Whose fault is that?_ a nasty voice whispered in his head. _Whose fault is it that Kallik doesn’t know? The idea didn’t just plant itself there._

The worst of it was, Kallik was right when he said Bato couldn’t stop him. It wasn’t just that he couldn’t—he _wouldn’t._ What would that say to a boy who thought his father had deserted him in the first place? Would it tell him Bato knew he was as capable as he claimed, or would it seed sinister thoughts of neglect further in his mind?

Bato pulled himself from his blankets and crept out of the room, trying not to disturb the kids as they slept. He had to find Kallik and make this right, somehow. He would check the beach first. Kallik always went to the beach when he wanted to think—

Kallik was sitting on the deck outside the door. A small candle was in front of him, flickering in time with his breaths. Beside him were some bandages and the pot of salve they got from the nuns yesterday. Bato stared at him, dumbfounded.

“Dad, will you sit down?” Kallik asked, not turning around. “You’re kind of distracting me.”

Bato blinked and settled beside his son, watching his half-lidded eyes stare at the candle flame in front of him. After three slow breaths, Kallik snuffed the candle with a wave of his hand before turning to face Bato. His hair was tied back in a tight braid, blue and white beads back in place, weaved into the white lock of hair that framed one side of his face. The black bangs on the other side remained unbraided and loose against his face. His gold eyes watched him seriously.

“Son—”

“I’m sorry.”

Kallik bowed his head. “I’m sorry, Dad. I didn’t mean what I said. I don’t think you—I know why you had to go, and I know you missed me. I shouldn’t have fought with you last night.”

“Kallik,” Bato said, gentling his tone as much as possible. Kallik looked up again, brows furrowed in concern. “ _I’m_ sorry. I’m sorry I tried to tell you what to do. And I’m so, so sorry I made you feel like I didn’t care about you. I love you. I never wanted to leave you.”

“I know,” Kallik began, but Bato held up his hand.

“No, I don’t think you do. You know how your mother called you her miracle? You know how she told you the story of La, carrying you to us on an Earth Kingdom ship after we prayed for you?” Kallik nodded.

Bato sighed. “There’s more of that story that you don’t know. You don’t know it because your mother couldn’t speak of it, and what it did to her body. You don’t know it because I couldn’t speak of it, and what it did to my spirit.”

“What?” Kallik asked, curiously.

“On the very same day of your birth, another child was born,” Bato said, his heart thudding in his chest. “She was born to the Southern Water tribe, in our village.” Kallik stared at him, frowning in thought. Bato swallowed. “When she was born, she never took a breath.” Kallik’s eyes dimmed, sadly, gaze searching his father’s face.

“She was your sister.”

Kallik’s eyebrows shot up and his mouth hung open slightly.

“We couldn’t even name her,” Bato said, staring down at the floor. “We buried her at sea, hearts broken. After—after the funeral, months after—Kyra wanted to try again. She said we both had too much love in our hearts not to give it to someone. Then Kanna told her that the birth was so hard on her body that there way she could have another. The likelihood that she would be able to create another life was slim to none.”

“You’re young,” he went on. “This is not a pain you can understand yet, and I hope you never have to. Losing a child is like losing a piece of your soul. It’s something that twists and pulls at you inside, making you bitter and angry at everything around you. The grief of losing anyone is hard, but losing your child is… agony.”

“But we went on. We endured because we had to, and we were lucky to have such good friends in Hakoda and Kya,” Bato chuckled. “They grieved with us and supported us. When Sokka was born, we told ourselves we were happy being Auntie and Uncle to the boy who would most likely be our next chief. That day, we sent one last prayer to Tui and La for a miracle, and both decided we would not ask again.” Bato sighed, gathering his thoughts.

“Then what happened?” Kallik asked, swallowing. Bato looked up to see his son gazing at him with wide eyes, consuming the story like he would food or air.

Bato smiled. “Hakoda and I went to Whale Tail island,” he said. “We went to meet Haru for our usual trades, but something happened back at Kyoshi island. A huge storm had brewed out of nowhere, and smashed Haru’s ship so he couldn’t make the deal. Two young people had come in his stead. One was a young woman, and she had a baby in her arms in too-big clothing, wriggling to be put down.”

Kallik leaned back, pressing his lips together. His ears started to turn red, like they always did when he was embarrassed.

“As soon as she put the babe down, he toddled to the edge of the deck. He would have toddled over, if I hadn’t caught him.” Kallik’s neck was starting to turn red too, and he looked down, hiding a small smile that was forming on his face.

“Imagine my surprise when this woman told me the child was lost—that he couldn’t go back to his family because they were truly awful people who couldn’t love him. That he was all alone in the world, and he was born on the same day as my beloved daughter, whose spirit was now cradled by La?”

“Really?” Kallik asked, hoarsely.

“You looked right into my eyes. Then you pulled my hair and giggled.”

Kallik let out a surprised laugh.

“Kallik, La brought you to _me_ , and when she did, I knew then and there that I would never let you go. I knew I would hold you in my heart forever.”

“Dad—”

“I love you, son,” Bato said. “I love you more than anything in this world. You are the most precious thing I will ever have. I said I left you behind because you had to take care of the village, and there is some truth to that. But the fact is, I left you behind because I wanted to keep you safe. I left you behind because I couldn’t bear to lose you.”

“I—”

“And I can’t tell you how sorry I am that I never told you any of this before. I can’t even begin to apologize for making you feel like I didn’t want you, because I wanted you _so much_ —”

Kallik reared up and pulled his father into a hug, pressing his face into his neck. Bato wrapped his arms around him and rubbed his back, resting his face on the top of his head and breathing him in. They sat that way for a while. Bato was almost afraid what would happen when they let go, because what was coming next was inevitable.

“I love you, too,” Kallik said into Bato’s shoulder, before finally pulling away. His face was dry, but there was a distinct shine over his eyes. “But—”

“You have to go,” Bato said, feeling his heart crack open as the words left his mouth. “You have to help the Avatar and do your part to end this war.”

Kallik bowed his head and nodded. Bato gripped his shoulder.

“And I have to let you,” he said, softly. Kallik raised his face and visibly swallowed, nodding again.

“We have to go soon,” Kallik said, sadly. “Probably later today, or maybe tomorrow morning. We’ve already delayed too much.”

“I know,” Bato said. “I am so, _so_ proud of you. You know that, right?” Kallik finally made a proper smile, grinning hugely at him. “Never forget that, son.”

“I won’t,” Kallik replied. He cleared his throat. “I thought I could help you with your burn again this morning.” Bato nodded his assent and allowed his son to undress the wound, wincing slightly when the cloth pulled away from the tender skin. Kallik worked quietly, carefully rubbing the salve over Bato’s reddened skin.

“I’m going to miss you,” Bato said, finally, as Kallik was finishing up with his new bandages.

Kallik stared at him very seriously, then pressed his palm against Bato’s chest, right over his heart.

“Whenever you miss me too hard, just remember that I’m right here,” he said, telling Bato more with one phrase than a lifetime of words exchanged between them could. He reminded the man of who they were, echoing words that were years old, but still remembered and revered for what they meant.

That they were both entirely loved. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Writing Notes:
> 
> 1\. Iroh is complicated. He doesn't like the war, and doesn't agree with it or his missions. But he still is under orders. It's an interesting position to be in. His stance in a lot of ways is the opposite of Lu Ten's. Lu Ten wants to follow orders, because it's the right thing for his nation, but his morals are starting to conflict with it. Iroh *has* to follow orders, but he doesn't think it's the right thing for his nation because it conflicts with his morals. They're opposites on Kallik, too, because Lu Ten can only see this Water Tribe kid that can firebend and who doesn't give any shits about the Fire Lord/royal family, and Iroh see's someone who looks exactly like his kid brother who needs to come home. They're... working on each other.
> 
> 2\. So I really felt for Aang in this episode. I don't think what he did was right, but I understand why. Can you imagine just being alone in the world, finding people who say their going to take care of you, and then coming to terms with possibly losing them? He acted rashly, like a child does. I think he would have benefited from a talking too. It's funny, because you can see Bato trying to calm them all down later in the episode. He can see Aang is a kid. More on that later. ;-)
> 
> 3\. I was legitimately angry at Hakoda for leaving his kids alone with Kanna. I know why he had to, but... they are children and Kanna is old and... well. That thing in season 3 where Katara and him have that talk? That's a good summation of what happened from the kid's perspectives, in my opinion. Kallik also has some bitterness stored up. So does Sokka. I might explore Sokka's and Katara's later on, depending on how this goes. As for the argument in this chapter, that was planned a while ago. Kallik is too hot-headed for it not to have happened. 
> 
> 4\. I may have to go back and doublecheck this, but I don't think Bato ever gave Kallik all the details of his adoption. Kyra always told him he was the miracle she asked for. She always said that La brought him to them on an Earth Nation ship. Kallik never new that Bato had to ask permission to keep him, or where he was found, or who brought him back or any of it. 
> 
> 5\. That last line is ridiculously cheesy and I DON'T CARE IT IS MY FIC AND I LOVE CHEESE OKAY?!  
> -ahem-
> 
> Thanks for reading! Hope y'all are still enjoying. Please leave a kudos if you were entertained, and a comment to share your thoughts. Feel free to visit me on [Tumblr!](https://hanuko.tumblr.com/)


	23. Chapter Twenty-two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Ice Dodging, Aang soon found out, was a stupidly dangerous way to test your adulthood if you asked him._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!
> 
> I am back with an update. Hope you're ready. This one is the conclusion for Bato of the Water Tribe. I hope it sparks joy. 
> 
> I've been so happy to be back at this one, I have to say. I got inspired for a scene in the future and wrote it!
> 
> But it's... it's the far future. Like book 3 far future so, we'll see.... I am at the mercy of this fic's whims. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

“This ship is sentimental to me,” Bato said as the group approached the boat moored on the beach. “It was built by my father.” Kallik grinned at his dad, having heard all the stories about his grandfather’s boat. He was glad they could come down to the beach this morning, to end things with a bit of fun. It was something they had too little of, lately.

“And Kallik had the best time out of all of the boys his age when he took it Ice Dodging,” Sokka said, nudging his cousin with his elbow. Kallik laughed then looked over at Aang, startled when he heard a gust of wind but didn’t feel it. Aang was looking over at them with an innocent grin on his face and his hands behind his back. Kallik furrowed his eyebrows. Aang was up to something.

“Bato, isn’t this the boat you went Ice Dodging in, too?” Katara asked.

“Yep,” his dad said, proudly. “It’s got the scar to prove it.”

“Tonraq’s scar,” Kallik whispered ominously.

“Hush, you,” his dad said, ruffling his hair as his cousins laughed. “How about you, Sokka? You must have some good stories from your first time Ice Dodging.” Sokka frowned and looked away. Kallik frowned with him. Sokka just turned sixteen, and he had never gone. Kallik wasn’t skilled enough to guide him, and there were no men in the neighboring villages that were willing to come perform the rite—not that Sokka wanted any of them to accompany him. Bato looked between them, clearly confused by their expressions.

“He never got to go,” Katara explained. “Dad left before he was old enough.”

“Oh,” his dad said, tone remorseful. “I forgot you were too young.”

“What’s Ice Dodging?” Aang asked.

“It’s a Rite of Passage for young Water Tribe members,” his dad explained. Kallik nodded along. “When you turn fourteen, your dad takes you—” Bato cut himself off, looking at Sokka for a moment as a slow smile formed on his face. Kallik knew that look. That was his dad’s _idea_ face. It was only slightly less terrifying than Hakoda’s.

“You know what,” he said, putting a friendly hand on Sokka’s shoulder, “you’re about to find out.”

Sokka had a moment of confusion before his face lit up with a smile.

“Really?” he asked, voice excited.

“Let’s ready the boat.”

* * *

Ice Dodging, Aang soon found out, was a stupidly dangerous way to test your adulthood if you asked him.

“Aang, helm to lee! helm to lee!” Sokka kept shouting from behind him as Kallik tightened the rope for the mainsail.

“What does that even mean?” Aang cried, pulling the rope in his hands in a direction that finally seemed to satisfy Sokka.

“Sokka,” Katara said, taking a bending stance, “we’re getting really close to some rocks portside.”

“Got it,” Sokka shouted, pulling on the tiller. Aang winced as the boat careened to the side, a massive wave rising up to splash them all. “Great job,” he shouted to the three in front, who grinned back at him. Aang glanced over at Bato, who was keeping his expression neutral. He caught Aang staring and winked.

“Sokka!” Katara cried, “There’s no way through!” Aang looked away from Bato to see the wall of jagged rocks she was talking about.

“We can make it!” Sokka said. Kallik looked back at him incredulously.

“Sokka,” Bato said, nervously, “You’ve already proven yourself. Maybe we should—”

“Aang, I’m gonna need air in that sail,” he said, commandingly. “Katara, I want you to bend as much water as you can between us and those rocks. Kallik, keep the sail steady to keep us from capsizing. Now!” All three of them nodded. Kallik pulled hard on his rope, gritting his teeth. Aang watched his arms bulge from the strain as he filled the sails with wind, worried each time the firebender jerked forward before pulling the rope back again. Katara stood in front of them, creating a massive wave that picked the boat up, higher and higher. Finally, the wave crested over the jagged tips of the rocks, carrying the boat safely to the other side.

Sokka collapsed against the boat, letting out a relieved groan. Kallik let go of the mainsail and whooped, throwing his hands in the air while Katara gently pushed the water away from them.

“Well done, Sokka!” Bato said, grinning proudly at him. Kallik ran back and pulled the boy to his feet so he could wrap him in a tight hug. Sokka laughed as Kallik pounded his back.

“Snow and sea, that was amazing!” Kallik said when he pulled away. “That was incredible! Those rocks—you’re mad, Sokka, absolutely _mad_ —”

“That was stupid,” Katara said, laughing. “That wasn’t incredible, it was dangerous,” she giggled, running back to hug him as well. Aang rubbed the back of his head, trying to make sense of what just happened.

“Let me look at your face,” Kallik said, once Katara let go, “maybe something will actually grow there, now—”

“Shut up!” Sokka laughed, shoving Kallik away. He sat back against the tiller and Kallik went back to the mainsail after one last grin. Katara sat down next to Bato and started pulling the water from his tunic and bandages.

Sokka steered the boat back, this time going around the rocks, until they were close to where they started. The sun was much lower in the sky than it was before. Bato reached into the bag he brought down to the beach and pulled out a bowl. He dipped it into the water before adding a fine dark powder, mixing it until it became a very smooth paste. Aang watched him dip his fingers in the bowl.

_That’s paint,_ he realized as Bato lined them up.

“The Spirits of water, bear witness to these marks,” he said loudly, standing in front of Sokka. Sokka raised his head proudly as Bato painted something on his brow. “For Sokka, the mark of the wise. The same mark your father earned.” He moved down the line to Kallik, who was still grinning hugely.

“For Kallik, the mark of the brave, for your inspiring courage, and the same mark I earned,” he winked. Aang was pretty sure Kallik puffed out his chest a little bit.

“For Katara, the mark of the trusted. Your sight and good thinking saved your crew from danger.” Katara blushed and smiled, squaring her shoulders. Aang swallowed when Bato paused in front of him.

“Lastly, for Aang,” Bato said, painting Aang’s head, “you have also received the mark of the trusted.” Aang felt his heart sink as guilt ate his insides. The map pressed against his chest, uncomfortably close to his racing heartbeat. “You are now an honorary member of the Water Tribe.”

Aang swallowed and stepped back. “I can’t,” he said, looking down at the ground in shame.

“Of course you can,” Katara said as he wiped the mark off his face.

“No,” Aang admitted. “You can’t trust me.” He looked up to see the three younger water tribe members staring at him in confusion. Kallik’s brow was furrowed, and he looked between Aang and the beach behind him, where Aang blew away the ostrich-horse tracks. He winced as he followed Kallik’s gaze. He wondered if the firebender had spotted him trying to erase the evidence, earlier.

“Aang,” Katara said, tone soft, “what are you talking about?”

Aang sighed and put his hand into his shirt to pull out the paper. “A messenger gave this to me for Bato,” he said, holding it out to the others. Katara took it from him, unwrapping the paper as Sokka walked up. Kallik stayed behind them next to his dad, frowning.

“You have to understand,” Aang said, trying to explain himself as he watched the recognition of what Katara held grow on their faces, “I was afraid you wouldn’t—”

“This is the map to our father!” Sokka shouted, glaring at him. “You had it the whole time?” Aang cringed away. The last time he saw Sokka this angry, it was after Kallik was taken on Crescent Island. “How could you?”

Aang hung his head and said nothing. What could he say? That he was too afraid to pass it along in case they would leave him behind? He was so _stupid_.

“Well,” Sokka spluttered angrily, “You can go to the North Pole on your own. I’m going to find Dad.”

“Now Sokka,” Bato said, gently, “I think you should—”

“Katara,” Sokka said, cutting his uncle off, “are you with me?”

Katara looked back at Aang with pained eyes before closing them tightly. “I’m with you, Sokka.”

Aang felt his heart leap into his throat. They were leaving him. He was right. He knew they would, just like everyone else.

This was his fault, though. They didn’t make him hide the map. Maybe the fleet was heading north, too. Maybe Aang could have flown them all there, so they could see their dad before going to the Northern Water Tribe with him. He should have trusted them. They had trusted him, after all.

“Kallik?” Sokka asked. Aang looked up once more, watching the older boy. Kallik stared at him very seriously. His father stood behind him, watching them. Kallik opened his mouth to say something then closed it, letting his shoulders slump a little. He looked over Aang one last time, then turned away, nodding once to Sokka. Bato joined the three as they walked away, leaving Aang alone on the beach. They were right to do it. He just messed everything up, like he always did.

They were wrong to trust him at all.

* * *

Iroh frowned, looking back at his son who was trying so hard to hide his discomfort. The further the bounty hunter took them, the more frequently Iroh had to request breaks, hiding his son’s injured pride behind his own old bones. But this time, June said they couldn’t stop.

“If we rest again, I’m afraid we’ll lose the trail. They only stay hot for so long, even for Nyla.”

The shirshu climbed over the walls of an abbey, frightening the nuns who worked there. All around them was the scent of oil and perfumes, blending together in a sharp but pleasant mixture of odors.

“Where is he!” Lu Ten shouted, tension in his whole upper body.

“I’m sure that monk and your relative are nearby,” June said, leaning down as Nyla twitched in a circle. “We’re getting close, I can tell.” With a crack of her whip, Nyla bolted out the archway to the abbey.

Iroh hoped she was right. He wasn’t sure if Lu Ten could bear it much longer.

_No matter,_ Iroh thought. _If we lose Zuko and the Avatar this day, we will find them another._

Lu Ten would always be his priority.

* * *

Kallik sighed as he walked beside his father and behind his cousins. What was normally such a short path between the abbey and the beach now seemed impossibly long. Sometimes, Sokka was so hardheaded it drove him crazy.

Aang was a kid. He was a kid who was sulking the past two days because he felt like they were ignoring him. To some degree, he was right. Kallik, Sokka, and Katara were so excited to see his dad that they forgot to include him. They didn’t give him a chance to share his voice. They didn’t let him in on their stories and histories. He was treated like an outsider. Kallik knew how much that hurt. He should have been better. Maybe then, Aang wouldn’t have been so rash.

“Do you believe he would have kept it?” his father murmured to him. Kallik looked at him from the corner of his eye. “The map,” he clarified.

“No,” Kallik said, quickly. “Aang’s not that kind of person, Dad. He’s just—a kid. A really dumb, stupidly powerful kid.”

“Hmm. And do you think you should have left him behind?”

“I think I’m not going to leave Sokka,” Kallik said, sadly. “I think he’s justified in being angry at Aang. I think he put his trust in him, and feels betrayed. He _was_ betrayed. But I also think Aang didn’t mean it. I think he was reacting to being left out and hurt, and didn’t know what else to do. Sokka is practically my brother though, so I’m always going to follow him first, even if I disagree.”

Bato hummed thoughtfully. “He’ll come to his senses,” he decided, smiling a little.

“Aang has a flying bison,” Kallik said in a toneless voice. “I know it’s been a while, but I’m sure you remember Sokka’s sulks. They last forever.”

“Not as long as yours did,” his dad said, grinning when Kallik pushed him with his shoulder. A wolf howled in the distance.

“That wolf sounds so sad,” Katara said, frowning.

“It’s probably wounded,” Sokka said, dismissively. Turning to continue down the trail.

“No,” his dad said, still looking behind them. Kallik looked up at him, perplexed when Bato winked before he turned back to his cousins. All of a sudden, he was wearing his disappointed face—which was the _worst_ face, In Kallik’s opinion. He wondered what was going on.

“It’s been separated from the pack,” Bato continued, voice soft so the others would lean in closer to listen. “I understand that pain. It’s one thing to split the pack, but to be all alone…. It’s how I felt when the Water Tribe warriors had to leave me behind.”

Kallik understood, too. It was different when their dads left. It hurt, but none of them were alone. When Kallik was pulled aboard that Fire Nation ship though, he knew what it was really like to be on his own, torn away from his family by circumstance. He wouldn’t wish it on anyone.

“They were my family,” his dad went on, “and being apart from them was more painful than my wounds.”

Sokka stared at Bato for a moment before his shoulders slumped in defeat. He turned around entirely, his whole body facing the abbey.

“Sokka?” Katara asked. Kallik knew she didn’t want to leave Aang behind, either. She had spent a lot of time with the mothers trying to help with the littlest children. She knew better than her brother what kids were like, no matter how powerful they were.

“We need to go back,” Sokka said, resigning himself. “I want to see Dad, but helping Aang is where we’re needed the most.” Kallik grinned, glad his friend came to his senses so soon. He thought for sure that Aang would be halfway across the Earth Kingdom before Sokka had realized what he’d done.

The smile slipped from his face as he turned to his father, studying him. Sokka and Katara still had their backs turned. His dad gave him a sly smile, then winked again. Kallik stared at him for a beat, then two, then he pressed his hand over his mouth so the others wouldn’t hear him laughing.

“Kallik?” Sokka asked. “What’s wrong?”

“He’s just a bit overcome,” Bato said easily, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “You know how he worries. He was probably concerned about how Aang would do without you.”

_Don’t laugh. Don’t laugh. Don’t laugh._

“You and your delicate sensibilities,” Sokka scoffed. Kallik felt like cold water had been dumped over him. He certainly didn’t feel like laughing anymore. Thankfully, Sokka didn’t notice anything amiss. His dad did though, if the tightening of the arm on his shoulders was anything to go by.

“Your father will understand,” his dad said, letting him go to pull the other two into a hug, “and I know he’s proud of you.”

“Thanks Bato,” Katara said, smiling up at him. He handed Sokka the map.

“I know where to go from here,” he said, easily. “Take this in case you want to find us. I’ll leave a message at the rendezvous point.” Kallik straightened his pack, holding his head up high as his father walked back to him.

Bato pulled him into a fierce hug, tighter than any of the others. Kallik returned it, holding onto his father with all his might. He tried to memorize the warm feeling of his arms, the soft breaths over his head, and the smell of leather, seaweed, and woodsmoke. Bato patted his shoulder, smoothed his braid, then leaned away, letting his hands linger on Kallik’s shoulders as Kallik’s fell to his sides.

“Never forget,” he said, smiling, a wet sheen over his blue eyes, “how incredibly proud I am of you, son.”

“I won’t, Dad,” he whispered back. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Kallik.”

Bato released him, and Kallik walked over to the others, letting them lead the way back to the abbey. Kallik turned back once more to find his father watching them, still smiling. Kallik waved, and Bato waved back, laughing a little as he turned to move on, back to his boat so he could rejoin the other warriors.

“I’m sorry we had to leave him, Kallik,” Katara said.

“It’s okay,” Kallik said. “We made up. We didn’t part with a fight between us.”

“Good,” she replied.

“I’m still mad at Aang,” Sokka grumbled, unsubtly trying to change the subject. Kallik rolled his eyes. “When we find him, we’re gonna have to sit him down and have a long talk,” he added, pounding his fist into his hand.

“An actual talk,” Katara added, firmly. “Without fists. Or weapons. Or bending.”

“Awww, Katara!”

“He’s twelve, Sokka,” Kallik reminded him.

“Hey, he’s almost thirteen. He said his birthday is next week—”

“Sokka, he’s _twelve_ ,” the older boy repeated, “and thirteen is not that different from twelve. Not only that, but he comes from an entirely different culture. We’re only going to have a talk with him, okay?”

“But—”

“I’m not saying we’re gonna go easy on him,” Kallik added. “I’ve been meaning to tell him exactly what I think of these stupid white lies he keeps telling—”

“What are you talking about?” Katara asked, pressing a hand over her heart. “He’s not lying to us. Why would you think that?”

“Probably not lies he thinks would hurt, but I can tell,” Kallik said, adjusting his bag. “He’s been keeping secrets, telling tales, all of it. The fact that he destroyed two whole tribes shared history with barely batting an eye should tell you something about that, Katara.”

“But they were fighting for no reason,” Katara huffed.

“Katara, our histories are oral. How would you feel if he said he visited the Water Tribe a hundred years ago, and—”

“Okay, enough,” Sokka interjected. “Let’s find him. Then we’ll figure all this out.”

The earth shook, putting them all on edge. Sokka halted them, listening, but in the end it didn’t matter. A huge beast leapt over them, blocking the road on either side and backing them into the rock wall behind them. A woman sat in the front, staring down at all of them. Eventually, the beast pointed it’s head at Kallik, bringing it’s ugly, fleshy looking snout close and sniffing the air around him.

“So this is him?” she asked, tossing her hair back, smirking at them. “He’s cute.”

“Where’s the Avatar?”

Kallik felt his heart stop.

That was Lu Ten’s voice.

Sokka moved as quick as lightening. As soon as the opportunity presented itself he grabbed both Kallik and Katara, dragging them through the only opening they had away from the monster.

“Run!” he screamed. The second Kallik’s legs were properly moving, something whipped his arm. A numbness hit his entire body all at once, forcing him to fall flat on his face. He couldn’t even brace himself for the fall.

“Was that necessary?”

Apparently, Iroh was here, too.

“You’re the one who wanted him,” the woman said, nonchalantly. Kallik felt two small hands grab his arm to haul him up. A wave of dark hair covered his face as he was laid over the woman’s shoulder.

He really, _really_ hoped Sokka couldn’t see how easily this woman picked him up. He’d never hear the end of it.

It was easier to think of that than the man who was on the ground next to her looking up at him, or the other that was still in the saddle.

Kallik was slung across the monster’s body, behind Lu Ten, who smirked down at him. Kallik glared up at him as best he could, but he couldn’t feel his face.

“Long time, no see—what happened to your hair?”

He couldn’t even make a snarky reply.

He couldn’t move at all.

_Spirits,_ he thought, true terror filling his mind, _Spirits no, I can’t move. I can’t move!_ He tried to wiggle his fingers and toes, but they were completely numb to him. If it weren’t for the heaviness of his body and the pin prickles all over his skin, he would think his spirit left his body. His heart pounded in his chest as he tried to think a way out of this predicament, but nothing came. He was stuck. He wasn’t even bound, and he was completely helpless. The princes would take him back to that ship, and Kallik was certain that this time they wouldn’t give him nearly as many liberties. He was trapped.

“Seriously,” Lu Ten continued, touching the end of his braid. He looked a mixture of livid and aghast. “It’s shorter—why is it shorter?”

“What do you mean, it’s shorter?” Iroh called up.

“He can’t answer,” the woman replied. “You’ll have to wait for the paralysis to wear off.”

The animal crawled forward, sniffing the ground.

“What is he doing?” Iroh asked from the ground. Kallik wondered if this time they were taking his cousins, too. He hoped not.

He should have known better than to tempt fate, as Sokka and Katara were both dumped unceremoniously next to him.

“He’s seeking a new scent,” the woman said. “Perhaps they have something the Avatar held.” After a few minutes, the monster growled. Iroh climbed up into the saddle between him and Lu Ten, smiling apologetically as they lunged forward.

“It’s nice to see you again, Kallik. I wish it could be under better circumstances.” His eyes moved from his face to his back. Iroh frowned, staring hard at his neck. “Your hair has been sheared?” Kallik would have scoffed at the accusation in his voice. It was just _hair._ Why were they so focused on how he cut his?

“I’d like to hear about that, when we get back to the ship.”

Kallik’s heart shivered at the words, fear shooting through him at the thought of that metal monster carrying him to some terrible unknown. He wished they never saw each other again at all.

* * *

“Come on,” Aang muttered, flying overhead and watching his friends being taken back to the abbey. The nuns hadn’t warned him in time to get them out of danger. “Come on guys, move!”

All three were still behind the Fire Nation princes, almost as if—

_No,_ he thought, firmly. _No, because Kallik isn’t moving either, and they wanted him alive before. They’re fine._ His sights were locked on the ugly shirshu beneath him, mouth turned down in a frown.

_They have to be okay. I won’t let them be anything else._

* * *

Iroh frowned as they entered the abbey again, circling the open courtyard.

“Why is he doing that?” Lu Ten asked, confused. “Did the Avatar run circles in here?” After a few minutes, the shirshu looked up, then reared back on his hind legs, causing the others to slide back. Iroh heard the grunts of Kallik and his Water Tribe family as they hit the ground behind him. Iroh caught Lu Ten as they tipped back, preventing him from falling. He managed to keep them both on their feet as they slid to the ground.

“Aang!” the girl said, as the Avatar flew by with his glider, landing in front of Nyla to taunt him.

“Up,” June shouted, cracking her whip so the beast would get to his feet. Nyla charged him, snarling madly when the bison appeared, ramming him out of the way. Nyla hit the wall and turned back to face the animal, who approached him and bellowed menacingly.

Lu Ten got up and got into his stance, ready to face the Avatar. Iroh stepped back, watching on in concern. He knew he should help.

He also knew he couldn’t convince his father that this war was not the way. He knew that if the Avatar were imprisoned under Azulon’s rule, and something happened to Iroh or Lu Ten, balance would never be restored. Also, the idea of bringing a child to his father in chains was unsettling.

The Avatar blasted some air at Lu Ten, who punched a jet of fire in the boy’s direction. All the reports said the Avatar didn’t kill—he didn’t even want to hurt anyone. Iroh watched some nuns drag his nephew and his friends away from the proceedings so they would be safe. He shook himself. His son was hurting. He was no match for the Avatar in his current state, and even if the boy didn’t want to, he could easily hurt him due to his old injury. Iroh settled himself into a stance, ready to end the fight when he felt something sharp hit his neck. Nyla ran past him, chasing the bison.

_Oh, fire and ash,_ he thought as he collapsed against the ground. Two nuns approached him and dragged him to the wall as well, not too far from the children of the Water Tribe. He wasn’t even facing the fight anymore. Iroh sat there, body numb, mulling over things as he waited for the paralysis to pass. Not for the first time since Zuko told them about Agni, he found his thoughts drifting towards his younger brother.

More and more, Iroh had been thinking about the little inconsistencies in Ozai’s behavior over the years. He had been promoting more officers lately, after building a loyal following at court while Iroh was away at war. Iroh couldn’t help but wonder if the whispers he heard in the palace, speculating at their crown prince’s ability to rule when he couldn’t manage to take Ba Sing Se, may have come from his brother.

Iroh had watched Ozai his whole life. He watched him grow, in age and in power. Even though he loved his brother, Iroh could see the way the younger man coveted his birth right.

Searching for the Avatar was a mission assigned to him and his son as the highest honor. When the first sightings were reported, Lu Ten was overjoyed to be back in action in some capacity again, glad his Grandfather would trust him with something so important. Iroh saw the gesture for what it was; a reminder to everyone that this was the line that would continue on the throne. No other person could be capable of bringing in the Avatar. It appeared Azulon noticed the shift in power as well and was working to rectify it.

Iroh had few worries about his place on the throne, though. He figured the time away from the capital could be utilized to sway his son from his family’s poisoned politics. The Painted Lady was clear. The Fire Nation had a hand in this, and the Fire Nation was obligated to help fix it. That was the price of Lu Ten’s spirit, and one Iroh gladly paid, no matter how difficult the task was.

Finding Zuko was unexpected, but Iroh thought reuniting the boy with his family would ease whatever pain was driving Ozai’s actions. They all mourned the loss of the cheerful boy, but after that day, Ozai became darker. More ruthless. It wasn’t until Azula was born that he started doting on his family again, but there was still something sinister hiding in his eyes. Iroh always thought it was the urge to punish those who would take his son away.

Now he mulled over Zuko’s words back on the ship. Words the young man said had been passed to him from a Great Spirit—from Agni, no less. Maybe that sinister glint had been in Ozai’s eyes all along. Perhaps seeing so little spark in his son’s eyes made him rageful, since it did not show the power of his lineage. Iroh wondered if Ozai saw Zuko as nothing more than a loose end that needed to be cut.

“I’m starting to get some feeling back,” the Water Tribe boy said. Iroh rolled his eyes to them, watching as Zuko wiggled his foot, and the other boy moved his arm. The girl was obstructed from his view. At that moment, some shingles from the roof slid down on top of the boy. “Ow.”

He startled when he heard his son’s cry of pain, wishing he could turn his head to see what had happened. A nun passed him with a small jar in her hand, approaching the Water Tribe members. Now, all three of them were on their feet, though unsteady, but they straightened up after the nun waved the bottle under their noses.

“Ugh, this is worse than your salts, Katara,” Zuko said, coughing a little.

_Kallik,_ he reminded himself, firmly. He had been forgetting the boy had another name. _He’s not Zuko until they test his spirit. Remember his name for now is Kallik._

“That thing sees with it’s nose!” The Water Tribe boy exclaimed. “Let’s give it something to look at.” The nun murmured something, then led the trio to a different part of the abbey, out of Iroh’s sight. He heard several thuds as a powerful wave of smells hit him, making his eyes sting. It was followed by a very loud splash. He could hear Nyla snarling and squealing, then the sound of his claws clambering over the stone walls and away from all of them.

After a few minutes, a shadow fell over Iroh. A hand gripped his hair and pulled his head back so he could look up. 

Zuko—Kallik—stared down at him, his face pulled down in an ugly scowl. It was very reminiscent of when Ozai would frighten the servants for fun. Iroh braced himself, knowing the Water Tribe killed threats and Zu—Kallik had only ever seen him as a threat. The boy held out his fist near his face, the wooden comb they used to track him clutched tightly in his hand.

“Stop following me,” he said, darkly. A fire flared around his fist, turning the comb to ash. Iroh was surprised he couldn’t feel the flame’s heat. “I don’t know what you want with me, and I don’t want to know. From now on, you are going to leave me and my family alone.”

_He’s keeping back the flame,_ Iroh realized, watching the flame flicker away from him. Iroh was stunned. Kallik was trying to intimidate him with the element Iroh was born with. Iroh had gotten so many burns over his lifetime that he wouldn’t flinch, even if he could move. Iroh got the impression that Kallik keeping the heat away from its victim was second nature to him. He thought fire was frightening. He didn’t want to do harm with it. He didn’t even let it touch his enemies. He put fires _out._

It didn’t matter if Iroh brought him back. Even if these doubts about Ozai were wrong, Kallik would never try to be part of their family. He didn’t want them. The Fire Nation brought him nothing but pain.

Jee was right. This boy, despite the fire flickering in his eyes, was water.

Iroh felt like an old fool.

Kallik snuffed out the flame and turned away, then snapped his fingers and turned back to face Iroh once more.

“Since you’re so concerned,” he said, sarcasm dripping on every word, “I like my hair this way. My father cut it for me, and he did it because I asked him to. Go ahead and pass that along to your son.” With one final scowl in Iroh’s direction, Kallik left. Iroh could see what Lu Ten was trying to say to him, now.

He should really open his ears and listen more.

Despite his years, he still had much to learn.

* * *

Aang kept peering back at the three Water Tribe cousins in the saddle. Kallik was gripping it nervously like he always did. Sokka was peering off at the water below, and Katara was glancing back at him occasionally. None of them said anything. None of them demanded an apology. All they did was… sit.

“So,” Aang asked, holding the reins, “where do we go?”

Katara looked back at the boys behind her. Kallik shrugged as he tried to relax back into the saddle and Sokka waved at her to answer for them.

“We’re getting you to the North Pole,” she said, warmly.

“Yeah,” Sokka added. “We’ve lost too much time as it is.”

Aang was confused. They were so mad at him before for keeping them from their father. For the stupid, selfish mistake he made. How were they just friends again?

“Don’t you want to see your father?” he asked.

“Of course we do, Aang,” Sokka said, face serious for once, “but you’re our family too. Right now, you need us more.”

“We need you, too,” Katara added.

“But Aang,” Kallik said, staring hard at him, “you have to stop lying to us. You can’t hide things like that. In the village, we talk when we’re having a problem. We do this even if it’s scary and we’re afraid of the outcome. This can’t happen again; do you understand me?”

Aang nodded emphatically. “Never again, Kallik, I promise.”

Kallik gazed at him a moment longer before nodding. “Good.”

Katara pulled Aang into a hug and kissed him on the cheek, making him blush.

“I’m so glad we can stay together, Aang.”

“Yeah,” the boy said, rubbing the back of his head when she let go. He stared at his friends—his family, relieved and happy they were reunited. He was so worried he was going to be alone all over again, but they stayed with him. They wanted to help him. They wanted to travel with him. They were with him every step of the way. His heart felt full as he watched them. Momo picked at Kallik’s hair while Sokka dug out some food Bato gave them. Katara was still smiling warmly at him. Aang stared back at Kallik nervously, thinking about what he just said.

“Kallik,” he asked, tentatively. “Um for sharing… problems or thoughts or… um. What if it’s about Fire Nation stuff?”

Kallik frowned hard, looking at the saddle.

“Not like… I mean Spirit stuff, and Fire Nation practices,” Aang clarified.

The teenager’s frown softened as he thought over Aang’s question.

“If you think it might be important, then yes, you should share it.”

Katara looked back and forth between them. “Oh,” she said, softly.

“What?” Kallik asked, eyebrows lowering in confusion.

“I told him to stop bringing up the Fire Nation,” Katara admitted. Aang watched Kallik shrug.

“I mean, I can take it or leave it,” he said. “Spirit stuff is useful, though. It doesn’t matter which nation it came from. Did you have something you wanted to tell me?”

He was looking at Aang with curious eyes. Aang flipped into the saddle across from him.

“So, there’s this thing about hair in the Fire Nation....”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Writing Notes: 
> 
> 1\. Again, I know absolutely nothing about sailing. And I did very weak research for this. For you sailors out there, my apologies. 
> 
> 2\. I was genuinely bothered by the fact that Aang just… lied to those people about something that happened 100 years ago in the Great Divide. I mean, obviously that’s how they’re keeping track of their history, passing down stories from generation to generation. I know that he was trying to make peace, but that was a bad way to do it. I also get the feeling based on Sokka’s face (who is a little older than Katara, and who I believe was being groomed for a leadership role before his father left) that he wasn’t very happy about it, either. 
> 
> 3\. I’m not gonna lie. I’m not happy with how… sudden Iroh’s attitude change is. I’ve been trying to layer it in for several chapters, but it still feels really fast, to me. But I was reaching a point where I was over-fiddling with it, so… yep. 
> 
> 4\. Oh Aang. Kallik’s gonna be confused. He’s gonna be like, “But Captain Jee’s hair is short. And a lot of soldiers didn’t have hair as long as mine. I’m not sure I know what you’re talking about here, Aang.” ;) It’s gonna matter later. Maybe. If I can get it together. I know what I want to do with it. This thing has a mind of its own, though. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! Please leave a kudos if you were entertained, and a comment to share your thoughts. Feel free to come say hi to me on [Tumblr!](https://hanuko.tumblr.com/)


	24. Chapter Twenty-three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I chose each one out specifically.”_
> 
> _Kallik raised his eyebrow at her, holding a dark blue and white mask with some trepidation._
> 
> _“Do I want to know_ why _you chose a crazy, blue, grinning thing with tusks?”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Deserter! The Deserter! We're at the Deserter!
> 
> Which... is longer than I thought it would be. Yeesh, a lot happens here. 
> 
> Hope you like it!

Katara grinned in relief at the sight of the notification board in front of her. It was a long couple of days, and things had gotten tense between Kallik and Aang. The talk they had wasn’t exactly the friendliest, and while Katara knew it needed to be done, Aang had seemed a little resentful towards her cousin afterward. Despite this, they had mutually decided that Kallik should teach Aang what he knew about firebending. It was not surprising that the training wasn’t going very well. 

Aang was more focused on trying to create a spark than learn the basics. It annoyed Kallik to no end how stubborn Aang was acting throughout the whole thing. On top of that, there was the constant stress of looking over their shoulders for the princes, as well the fact that they were incredibly low on supplies. Being near a town where they could restock made the tension Katara was carrying finally relax a little. 

“This should give us a good idea of what’s around here!” she exclaimed, running forward to read about the nearby towns and events.

“See if you can find a menu,” her brother said, shaking out their last food bag. “I’m starving.”

“I told you we needed to hunt this morning,” Kallik said, coming up behind her and reading the board over her shoulder. “You were the one who said we should get a move on.”

“Do you have to throw my mistakes in my face at every given opportunity?” Sokka whined. Aang ran up to the board as well, eyes roving over the notifications.

“Yes,” Kallik said, smirking at him. Katara grinned.

“I bet we can find something to eat here,” Aang said, pointing to a colorful picture pinned to the board. “The Fire Days Festival! Fire Nation cultural exhibits, jugglers, benders, magicians,” he turned to Katara with a wide grin and huge, delighted eyes. “This would be a great place for me to study some real firebenders!”

“Hey,” Kallik bristled, “I’m standing right here.”

“Sorry, Kallik,” Aang said, sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. “I didn’t mean you aren’t a real firebender, but you haven’t been able to teach me much at all—I don’t get it when you explain it, and these guys have been properly trained—”

“Tui and La,” Kallik muttered, rolling his eyes. Sokka snickered at him as he walked to the other side of the board.

“Um,” Sokka said, laughter gone from his voice, “I think Kallik is still your best option right now,” he said. Kallik walked over and joined Sokka, then let out a dismayed groan.

“Seriously?” he asked.

“Yep,” Sokka replied.

“What is it?” Katara asked, running over with Aang in tow. Right in the center of the board was a poster depicting Aang, listing his last known whereabouts as well as a reward.

It was startlingly high.

“Hey, a poster of me!” Aang said, excitedly. Kallik had facepalmed so hard, Katara could hear his hand slapping his forehead.

“A wanted poster,” Sokka stressed.

“We better keep moving,” Katara said.

“I have to learn firebending at some point,” Aang said plaintively.

“Kallik can teach you what he knows,” Katara said.

“Yeah, if you would just be patient and listen, maybe you’d actually learn something.” Kallik grumbled under his breath. “I don’t understand why it’s so hard for you to meditate properly.”

“But you do it wrong,” Aang pouted. “Besides, you didn’t when you learned.”

“I don’t do it wrong—I do it the way firebenders are supposed to do it! Besides, I wish I knew that was the first thing to do when I taught myself,” Kallik said, knowingly. “It would have saved me a lot of headache.” Katara smiled at him, knowing it was true. Ever since he started meditating with the candle in the mornings, his bending had gotten stronger.

“Kallik,” Aang whined, “this could be our only chance to watch some masters up close!”

Kallik opened his mouth to argue, then closed it, humming in thought. Katara noticed an excited look in his eye when Aang mentioned the possibility of watching masters. She bit her lip. She felt terrible that Kallik never really knew much about firebending. He, like her, was self-taught, but at least she had a learning tool to help her. The waterbending scroll had been incredibly useful. She applied the forms and concepts from the scroll to her other moves and had become a better bender because of it. Kallik had only recently managed to shoot and sustain a jet of fire without his fans.

“I guess we could go check it out,” she offered. Aang grinned and Kallik also gave her a small smile.

“What?” Sokka asked, shocked. He threw his arms out and gestured emphatically with them as he continued. “You want to walk into a Fire Nation colony when they’re all fired up with all their… fire?”

“We can wear disguises,” Katara said, easily, walking over to Appa. “If it looks like trouble, we’ll leave.

“Yeah,” Sokka said, dejectedly, “because we always leave before we get into trouble—ouch!”

Kallik punched him in the arm as he walked by. “We’ll be fine,” he said, shrugging. “Don’t be so uptight.”

“Did _you_ seriously just tell _me_ to stop being uptight?” Sokka spluttered, chasing after him.

Appa marched through the woods, clearing the way for the teenagers walking beside him. Once they got close to the town, Aang held out his hand, causing Appa to halt.

“You guys stay out of sight here while we go to the festival,” Aang said. Appa lowed and Momo chittered. The lemur dove excitedly into a bush, and Appa hid his face behind it. Katara grinned and Kallik laughed, shaking his head at their antics.

“Ready disguises!” Aang said. Katara pulled out their cloaks, then paused as she saw Kallik unbraiding his hair.

“What are you doing?” she asked, watching him pull the beads out to stick in his pocket. He frowned at her, quickly combing his fingers through his hair.

“Readying my disguise?” he asked, pulling up his hair into a low topknot. He looked alarmingly like a Fire Nation soldier that way. “We’re more likely to get attention with hoods than we are changing our hair. If you take your hair down, people probably won’t give you a second glance. I’m putting my hair up like the Fire Nation soldiers did. It’ll hide my white streak better.” He wasn’t wrong. The stark lock was tucked out of sight on the crown of his head, only a hint of it peeking through the rest of his hair.

“Does my hair need to be up, too?” Katara asked, once her hair was loose. Aang was staring at her. “What?” she asked, self-consciously. “Does it look bad?”

“Huh?” Aang said, confused. He visibly shook himself. “No! No, it’s fine. It’s just really long. I wasn’t expecting it.” Katara shrugged and turned away, hiding her blush.

Kallik frowned, thoughtfully. “The only places I’ve been to were that ship and the stronghold… I’m not sure if you need to wear your hair up, but there were some women in the army who also wore topknots.”

“That girl who tried to capture us had her hair up,” Sokka offered. “It was kind of like yours, Kallik, but higher up on her head, and it looked bigger.”

“Oh yeah,” Katara said. She held her hair tie between her fingers. “Kallik?” she asked, holding it out. He was the only one here who ever had hair close to her length, so he knew best how to deal with it. He rolled his eyes and went to her, loosely gathering her hair up.

“No, it was bigger than that,” Sokka said, waving his hands over his head.

“Do you want to do this?” Kallik sniped behind her.

“No way,” Sokka scoffed. “I don’t do buns or knots or whatever. If she needed a wolf’s tail—”

“Yeah, yeah,” Kallik grumbled, tying her hair. She looked up to find Aang staring at her.

“What?” she asked.

“Nothing! It’s fine.” he muttered, blushing when he caught her looking. She raised an eyebrow. “I mean, you can keep it down. Kallik doesn’t have to tie it up for you.”

“Isn’t the point to fit in?”

“Look, I’ve actually been to the Fire Nation,” he said, folding his arms over his chest, “and I remember lots of different hairstyles, okay? It may have been a hundred years ago, but I think you might be making a bigger deal of this than it is.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Sokka asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Well, no one asked me,” he mumbled. “I’m just saying it wasn’t all topknots.”

“I’m so confused,” Sokka continued. “A couple of days ago you were saying that hair was like, respect or reverence or something.”

“Honor,” Kallik interrupted, biting his lip in concentration as he wrapped the leather cord around Katara’s hair.

“Right,” Sokka acknowledged. “Now it’s all different hairstyles?”

“No,” Aang said, shaking his head. “Cutting hair is a big deal, especially for firebenders. Or some of the firebenders. Wearing it a specific way wasn’t.”

Kallik let go of her hair and stepped in front of her, examining his work. He gave half a shrug and a nod, causing her to fiddle with the hair that hung loose. She hoped it looked alright. Kallik retrieved his cloak from her, throwing it over his shoulders. Without the obvious blue leathers showing, he looked—different. Katara shook herself. _It’s just Kallik with different hair,_ she reminded herself firmly. _He’s the same._

“Well, I’d rather be safe than sorry,” Sokka said, throwing his hood over his head.

“What about you, Aang?” Katara asked. Aang pulled part of his shirt over his head to hide his arrow.

“Ta-da!” he said, throwing out his hands. Katara pressed her lips together so she wouldn’t laugh, and Kallik stared at Aang, slowly shaking his head.

“It’s like you’re a whole different person,” Sokka deadpanned, causing Kallik to snicker and Katara to giggle. Aang smiled cheerfully and shrugged, leading them down to the town. On the way, Kallik would periodically turn back, pausing to examine their surroundings. Katara asked him what he was doing.

“I just feel like something’s off,” he said, shrugging. “It’s kind of like when something’s out of place on a hunt, you know?” Katara hummed thoughtfully, remembering exactly how many Polar Hunts had gone badly back home. Many men returned injured or hadn’t returned at all because they weren’t vigilant enough. Kallik and Sokka both had been hurt going out on hunts before, so it was a warning she and her brother understood all to well.

“Huh.” Sokka looked back as well, suddenly tense. “Do you think we disturbed a nest or some animal or something?”

Kallik shook his head. “I’m not sure.”

“Why is that the comparison you came up with?” Aang asked. “What goes wrong on a hunt?”

“Lots of things,” Katara said. “Once, when Kallik was thirteen, he and Sokka went on a hunt with the men and Kallik almost got mauled by a polar leopard.”

“What?”

“It was fine,” Kallik said. “Hakoda spooked it, and Dad got me away from there.”

“That was the day Gran-gran taught me how to stitch someone up,” Katara finished.

“No way,” Aang breathed. “No way, Kallik! What happened?”

“Another time,” Kallik said, shaking his head. They were at the border of the town. “It’s probably a bad idea to talk about some of the polar hunts Sokka and I have been on so close to Fire Nation territory.”

“But how were you hurt? Did it catch you?”

“Sokka’s got a similar story about a tiger-seal,” Katara said, quietly. Aang’s mouth dropped open. “Neither one of them want to share because they’re embarrassed. And maybe a little traumatized.”

“Polar bear-dogs are worse,” Kallik said, shuddering. “That cat barely touched me.”

“Oh please,” Katara scoffed. “I still remember the hand cramp I got fixing you up. I also remember how much you were crying when you got back to the village. Quit acting so tough.”

“I did not cry that much,” Kallik spluttered.

“Yeah, you did,” Sokka grinned.

“Tiger-seal,” Kallik said, flatly. The grin slipped right off Sokka’s face.

“I would have cried,” Aang said, shrugging. The boys stared at him with twin looks of surprise at his admission. “What?” he asked. “You were attacked by a polar leopard. Those things are huge. Tiger-seals, too.”

Kallik blushed and cleared his throat while Sokka looked at the ground, kicking a rock. Katara laughed at their expressions. She was pretty sure she had seen Kallik cry more in the last few weeks than she had her whole life, and she knew he was embarrassed by it. Hearing another boy openly admit that there was no reason to hide their tears at something so scary was refreshing.

“Whatever,” Kallik mumbled. He looked up and his eyes widened “Whoa.”

Katara looked up, slowly smiling as they went further into town. All around them were different stalls selling beautiful wares—costumes, jewelry, even weaponry. Delightful scents filled the air, teasing her senses. A few shows could be seen in the distance. There were men juggling torches and women swallowing swords. A group of people wearing a dragon costume ran across the street right in front of them. It was the most exotic thing she had ever witnessed.

She also noticed that almost everyone had a mask on their face. “I think we need some new disguises.”

“Where are we gonna get masks like that?” Sokka complained.

“Get your genuine Fire Festival masks here!” a vendor shouted, prompting the four to turn around. Kallik shrugged and walked over, and Katara and Aang followed him.

“That was surprisingly easy,” Sokka said behind her, examining the masks. She selected them, and gave one to each of the boys, stopping them when Sokka and Aang tried to swap.

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I chose each one out specifically.”

Kallik raised his eyebrow at her, holding a dark blue and white mask with some trepidation.

“Do I want to know _why_ you chose a crazy, blue, grinning thing with tusks?”

“Oh, my boy,” the vendor laughed. “That’s a fine choice for a mask! The lady has a good eye. The Blue Spirit is a truly clever character. Surely you’ve seen Love Amongst the Dragons?” Kallik shook his head. “Bah,” the man waved his answer off. “Kids these days. No culture. He is a dreadful Water Spirit, who had the power to bind the Dragon Emperor! He used his wit and cunning to trick the Dragon Emperor into a mere mortal’s body.”

The group stared blankly at him.

“Oh,” Kallik offered, putting the mask on and tying it behind his head. “Um, thank you.”

The others put on their own masks so they could move freely through the crowd.

“Why do I get the sad clown mask?” Sokka asked.

“Because between the two of you, Aang is the happy clown,” Katara said. She pushed Aang forward, leading them towards other vendors. There was so much going on that she couldn’t figure out where to go, or what to do next.

“Hey,” Aang declared, pointing off to another stand, “there’s some food!”

“Finally,” Sokka grumbled, running past them. “What do you have?” he asked, as the vendor put little steaming pouches on the counter.

“Flaming Fire Flakes,” the old man said, kindly. “Best in town.”

“I’ll take ‘em,” Sokka said, exchanging his coin for the little pouch. He started inhaling the food as quickly as possible, much to Katara’s disgust. Her brother could be so gross sometimes.

For a minute, Sokka was clearly enjoying whatever it was he was shoving into his face, making contented noises at the flavor. In the next breath he was shouting, pulling off his mask and waving at his tongue crying, “Hot! Hot!”

“Flaming Fire Flakes,” Katara said, folding her arms in front of her chest. “Hot.” The vendor took pity on him and poured some kind of drink, placing it in front of them. Kallik handed it to Sokka and put more coins on the counter, thanking him.

“Hey, look at this!” Aang said, taking off. He led them to a variety of stands. A puppet show with a fire-breathing Fire Lord, a jewelry maker who had only the finest gems found in the Earth Kingdom, even a busker playing some kind of horn on the street. Kallik liked that enough to drop some coins in his basket.

“What?” he asked as Sokka stared at him. His tone was defensive, even though Sokka’s face was hidden. It wasn’t the first time she suspected the two had a telepathic link, and it wouldn’t be the last. “I liked it, okay? And it can’t be an easy way to make a living—”

“Kallik, you can’t just spend money on street performers!” Sokka said, exasperatedly. She looked over to Aang to laugh about their antics, only to discover he took off again.

“Aang, hold on,” she shouted, catching up to him. Sokka and Kallik were right behind her. “Where are we going?”

“I don’t know,” Aang replied, “but there’s a big crowd, so it must be good!”

“Knowing the Fire Nation, it’s probably an execution,” Sokka muttered, darkly. Kallik nodded.

They walked through the crowd until they came close to the stage, where a firebender was throwing fire around, making amazing circles and sparks. Katara stepped back when a flame got too close, but Kallik put it out before it got near her with just a breath. She sighed, relieved as a ball of flames high above them turned into a small flock of doves.

“I gotta learn that trick!” Aang exclaimed. Katara heard Kallik scoff beside him.

“That’s pretty advanced,” he said quietly, “and dangerous. This guy is a professional, and he nearly burned Katara.”

“He didn’t though,” Aang replied, nonchalantly. “Katara’s fine. I wonder how he made the fire spread out like that.”

“For my next trick, I need a volunteer from the audience!” the magician shouted. The crowd shouted back, and several people jumped up and down, waving their hands. Aang was probably the loudest among them.

“What do you think you’re doing,” Sokka hissed, grabbing his wildly waving hand.

“I want to get a closer look!” Aang huffed.

“We shouldn’t attract attention to ourselves,” Kallik said, blocking Aang from the stage.

“How about you, little lady?” Katara looked up to find the firebender looking straight at her, holding out his hand.

“Me?” she asked, startled.

“Aww,” the man cooed, “she’s shy! Let’s give her some encouragement, folks!” he shouted. The crowd cheered and before she knew what was happening, he was pulling her onto the stage and tying her to a chair as he explained the trick to the audience.

“You will be my captured princess,” he said to her, creating a massive flame and shooting it into the sky. The fire almost looked like it had the face of a dragon! It danced around overhead, coming closer and closer to her, but surprisingly, she didn’t feel any heat from the flames.

“Don’t worry, young maiden!” the performer shouted. “I will tame this fiery beast!” A fire-whip formed in his hand very near her, but she still didn’t feel any warmth from the fire at all. She looked out to the crowd and sighed in relief when she saw Kallik. His mask was pulled up, and he was scrutinizing the flames with narrowed eyes, not letting them out of his sight. His hands were loose and ready to take control if he needed. Kallik would be able to push the flames out of the way. She relaxed as she watched him. He wouldn’t let her get hurt.

“It’s too strong,” the firebender grunted. “I can’t hold it!” Katara, distracted, looked up in alarm. “The rope,” he shouted, “it’s breaking!” Suddenly the fireball broke loose and hurtled towards her. She snapped her eyes closed, and still didn’t feel any heat. _Kallik won’t let me get burned._

Katara’s eyes shot open when she felt a gust of wind surrounding her. Aang stood in front of her, mask on the stage behind him as tiny, brightly colored papers filled the air. Kallik and Sokka were making a beeline for the stage, climbing up as the performer whispered something to Aang, an angry expression on his face. Sokka untied her as quickly as possible, but it was too late.

“Hey! That kid’s the Avatar!”

* * *

Of all the stupid things Aang could do—

“I think it’s time to go,” Sokka said, watching several guards surround the stage.

“Follow me!” someone said, prompting him to turn around. A man in a cloak with his face half-hidden by a mask waved them over as he hid behind a pillar. “I can get you out of here!”

“We’re not actually going to follow him, are we?” Kallik asked, eyeing him with suspicion.

“There they are!” a guard shouted as they started to climb the stage.

“Don’t think we have much choice, buddy!” Sokka shouted, grabbing his elbow. Katara and Aang were already in the front, following the stranger.

The cloaked figure led them through all kinds of nooks and crannies, down back alleys and behind buildings, trying to dodge the guards that appeared at every corner and constantly throwing smoke bombs in his wake. Aang pulled out that stupid whistle and brought it to his lips.

“I’m calling Appa!” he shouted before blowing hard into the whistle. The whistle he spent the last of their money on. The whistle that didn’t seem to work at all.

“I hope he can really hear that bison whistle,” he shouted.

“This way!” the man shouted.

“Bison whistle?” Kallik asked, panting as they turned another corner.

“Don’t,” Sokka said, shaking his head. “I’ll tell you later.”

The man skidded to a stop in front of them.

“Okay,” he said, pulling out another smoke bomb, “not this way.” He threw it at the guards that had materialized in front of them, giving them an opportunity to run down an alley. They didn’t go far before a huge wall blocked their path.

“It’s a dead end!” Kallik moaned. The stranger they followed stood in front of them, holding out his hands to protect them.

_This is it,_ Sokka thought. _This is the end. Death by Fire Nation Colony guardsmen because of a bunk whistle._ He closed his eyes, counting his heartbeats as the guards approached. Suddenly, a loud familiar bellow filled the air, making Sokka’s heart leap with joy. Appa flew down in front of them, knocking the guards away with a burst of wind from his tail. The scrambled into the saddle as fast as they could, and Appa took off. As they went, Sokka watched the stranger drop another smoke bomb. Sokka frowned, puzzled until he heard the sudden whistle of fireworks in the air. It created enough flashes and smoke to cover their escape.

He let out a little laugh at their narrow escape. He couldn’t believe how lucky they just got. He looked around. Katara looked worried and somewhat stunned, as if she couldn’t quite believe they got away. Aang was laughing as he flicked the reins, guiding Appa away from the town. Kallik was staring at Aang, completely livid. His eye was twitching slightly. Sokka scooted closer to him.

“Hey,” he whispered. “We’re fine. We got away. Take a breath, okay? We’ll talk to him later.”

“Later?” Kallik snarled. “Sokka—”

“Remember how angry I was about Dad’s message?” Sokka reminded him. Kallik frowned harder. “No one is going to say or do anything they’ll regret. Cool it.”

Kallik huffed, and folded his arms over his chest, looking away. He didn’t argue, though, so Sokka figured that was enough for now.

“Nice touch setting off the fireworks,” Aang called back as the stranger uncovered his face.

“You seem to really know your explosives,” Sokka offered. Kallik eyed the newcomer warily.

“I’m familiar,” the man replied, facing them for the first time. He looked like a normal guy. He had warm brown skin and short, scruffy brown hair. Thin, amber-gold eyes examined the group, making Sokka gasp.

“You’re a Fire Nation soldier!” he exclaimed, leaning back. Kallik gaped at him.

“How can you tell?” he asked, perplexed.

“It’s obvious, isn’t it?” he asked, frowning. “Look at his eyes! Plus, he knows explosives. What else could he be?”

The anger that had been there before was replaced quickly with hurt and confusion. Sokka’s eyebrows shot up at the sudden change in expression in his friend. Kallik looked away, scowling as he untied his topknot. Katara sighed, prompting Sokka to look over at her. She, too, was untying the small bun in her hair, looking at Sokka as if he had done something incredibly foolish.

“What?” Sokka asked.

“Um,” the man said, drawing their attention, “you’re not exactly wrong. I was a Fire Nation soldier. My name’s Chey.”

“Nice to meet you, Chey,” Aang said. “I’m Aang, and this is Sokka, Katara, and Kallik,” he added, pointing to each of them in turn. Sokka watched as Chey’s eyes lingered on Kallik, making Sokka feel very nervous. He was getting tired of Fire Nation people and their interest in his cousin. Chey looked back at Aang.

“You’re the Avatar,” he said, bluntly. Appa moved down towards the ground, landing gently on the grass.

“Yep,” Aang said. “I thought you knew that already.”

“Yeah,” Chey said.

“What made you help us?” Kallik asked, gruffly. Sokka sighed. He was getting all prickly.

“I serve a man—more than a man, really,” Chey said as they dismounted. “He’s a myth, but he’s real. A living legend.”

“Who?” Katara asked.

“Jeong Jeong the Deserter,” Chey breathed, almost in reverence. “He was a Fire Nation general. Or wait… was he an admiral?”

“He was highly ranked,” Sokka said in a flat voice. Kallik’s moodiness was getting to him. “We get it.”

“Yeah!” Chey exclaimed. “Way up there! But he couldn’t take the madness anymore. He’s the first person ever to leave the army and live.” Sokka watched Katara’s eyebrows go up. She was clearly impressed. Aang leaned forward, hanging on his every word. “I’m the second, but you don’t get to be a legend for that.”

Chey shook himself. “That’s okay though. Jeong Jeong’s a firebending genius. Some say he’s mad, but he’s not. He’s enlightened.”

“You mean there’s a firebender out here who’s not with the Fire Lord?” Aang asked, excitedly. “We’ve gotta go see him. He can train me!”

“No,” Kallik said, firmly. “We don’t know anything about this guy, and if a lot of people think he’s crazy, then maybe he is.”

“He’s not crazy!” Chey shouted. “He’s a genius, and he’s the perfect person to train the Avatar.”

“Yeah,” Kallik scoffed. “Sure. We can just take you at your word, huh?”

“Kallik, he saved us,” Aang said. “I have a good feeling about Chey, and this Jeong Jeong guy. Come on.”

“Well, Aang, I’m not sure I trust your judgment,” Kallik said, coolly. Sokka saw Katara wince and look away.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Aang asked, scowling.

“Kallik, not now” Sokka said in a low voice. He cleared his throat before speaking up again. “Look, we have to go to the North Pole. We’re leaving in the morning, so we won’t have time to meet this guy anyway.”

“But Sokka,” Aang said, making the biggest puppy eyes Sokka had ever seen, “this could be my only chance to meet a firebending master who would be actually willing to teach me.”

“It can’t hurt just to talk to him,” Katara added. Sokka shook his head, astounded.

“That’s what you said about the festival!” he cried. “Why doesn’t anyone ever listen to me?” He turned to walk off his anger. Kallik was mad enough right now—they didn’t need two hotheads for this discussion. The moment he took a step, however, a spear was pointed right at his throat. A man stood in front of him with an angry glare, covered from head to toe in a leafy outfit. The camouflage was impressive. Based on the shouts and gasps of surprise from his friends, he guessed they were surrounded.

Soon, the group was lined up and led single file through the dark woods. Sokka could kick himself. Why was it that people could just drop in on him from the trees? It turned out Chey knew them. They didn’t seem to like him very much, despite the fact that he called them his friends. Eventually they came to a small hut on the river. The leader of the abductors pointed Chey to the hut, demanding he go speak with their leader.

“Is that where Jeong Jeong is?” Aang asked, marching forward. Kallik grabbed his shirt and pulled him back. Aang glared up at him. “I have to go see him!” Kallik shook his head.

“We’re in enough trouble,” he hissed. “Leave it alone.”

“But—”

“No!” the man shouted. “He will see Chey only!”

Chey shrugged in defeat as he scooted down the hill, telling them not to worry. He would sort it out.

Sokka did not have much confidence in this declaration. They were told to wait in the small hut on the top of the hill. The men acted as guards and stationed themselves at the door while the group made themselves comfortable, sitting on the ground. Only Aang remained on his feet.

“I have to talk to him,” Aang whined. Sokka pinched the bridge of his nose.

“No, you need to sit and be patient,” Kallik said through gritted teeth.

“Why?” Aang shouted. “What’s with you? You’ve been mad at me ever since we left the festival—”

“Are you serious?” Kallik asked, shaking his head in astonishment. “Do you honestly have no idea how reckless you were—”

“How was I reckless?” Aang asked, confused. “Is this because I called Appa? I heard you and Sokka were talking about my whistle. I know it’s dangerous for him to be spotted, but we had to get away!”

“That’s not what I’m talking about!” Kallik shouted, hands balled into fists on his knees.

“Kallik—” Sokka said, “we aren’t going to fight about this.”

Kallik scoffed and turned his head away. He was still seething.

“Fight about what?” Aang asked, clearly confused and desperate for the answer. “What did I do?”

“Aang—” Sokka warned, but it was too late. Kallik stood up, and the fires from the torches flared around them.

“What did you do?” he asked, incensed. “What did you _do_? You exposed yourself! You knew they were looking for you, and you knew you had to hide your face. Not only did you show it—on a stage, no less—but you did airbending, too! You put us all in danger!”

“What, that?” Aang asked, smiling a little. “Oh, well, I was worried about Katara—”

“You think we weren’t?” Kallik continued, gesturing to himself and Sokka. The torches flared even brighter, startling the guards. Sokka heard them murmuring outside, and one took off after sparks began to leap off of them. “Katara is Sokka’s sister! She’s our family! How could you possibly think we weren’t scared of what that, that… that performer was going to do to her?”

“But—”

“I had it handled, Aang! Which you would know if you would just sit still with me and listen when I try to explain what little I know about firebending! I had it under control.”

“Kallik,” Aang said, somewhat apologetically, but mostly condescendingly, “you’re entirely self-taught and really, really far from being a master. I didn’t think—”

“No,” Kallik said, voice ice cold. “You didn’t. You didn’t think at all. In fact, I’m pretty sure you forgot that the very first thing I taught myself was _how to put fires out_.”

“But—”

“That means any fire, Aang. Any fire. As long as I am focused on it, I can snuff it out in a heartbeat.”

“Truly?”

Sokka looked up, startled by the interruption. An old man stood in the doorway, staring at Kallik curiously. He had messy white hair, a thin beard growing from his chin, and a pair of scars by his right eye. Amber eyes roved over the group for a moment before settling on Kallik once more. Kallik stared back and said nothing.

“Show me,” the man said. His voice was like gravel, and his eyes were like a polar leopard’s that had settled on its prey. Sokka stood up, slowly, reaching for his boomerang. Kallik held out his hand, stilling Sokka. Then he straightened up, lifting his head before drawing in a careful breath and holding it. He squeezed his hand into a fist, plunging the hut into darkness.

Sokka’s heartbeat was loud in his ears, thumping hard against his chest in the dark. Had it been a second, or a minute? Why were they all being so quiet? Was anyone even still here?

A moment later, a light flared to life in the old man’s palm. He split it and sent each piece to a torch, relighting the hut. He examined Kallik, expression never wavering. No one dared to speak.

“You need to be trained,” he said, simply.

Kallik frowned, but nodded. Sokka noticed a tremble in his fingers. This guy clearly made him nervous.

“Then I will teach you,” the man replied. “You will meet me in front of the hut below. We will begin at dawn.”

“Wait,” Aang said, looking back and forth between them. “Wait, are you Jeong Jeong?” he asked. The old man moved his stern gaze to the monk.

“Yes,” he said, easily, “and you are the Avatar. You seek a firebending master.”

“Yes!” Aang exclaimed grinning. “Master, may I join this lesson?”

“No,” Jeong Jeong said, bluntly. “You must master waterbending and earthbending first. Only then can you attempt fire.”

“What?” Aang asked, jaw dropping. “Kallik didn’t even ask you, and you’re training him!”

“He knows why,” Jeong Jeong said, eyes flashing back to Kallik. Kallik blinked and looked to the floor, flushing as he nodded.

“But—”

“Are you deaf?” Jeong Jeong shouted. “I said no! Do not ask me again!” He turned on his heel and marched away, leaving a very quiet, surprised group of teenagers in his wake.

“I don’t understand,” Aang said, looking back at Kallik. “I don’t understand what I did wrong, and I don’t understand why he’s teaching you instead of me.”

“Yeah,” Kallik said, dully. The fight had left him entirely. “I don’t think you will until you do what I’ve been telling you to do.”

“Kallik—”

“I’m sorry I shouted,” Kallik cut him off. “Sokka was right. I should have waited until I calmed down.”

“But—”

“I’m going to sleep,” Kallik said with finality, settling himself back down on the floor, against the wall. He turned his back to them. “Good night.”

The other three stared at him, Aang opening and closing his mouth, unsure what to say.

“But—”

“Leave it Aang,” Sokka said, settling down in the space between Kallik and the others. “No one is getting trained anyway. We should all try to get some sleep. We really do need to get going to the North Pole.”

“Sokka,” Katara said, softly. Sokka looked at her, frowning. “This may be Kallik’s only chance to meet a firebending master that can teach him, too. We’re not going to interfere with that.”

“And I might still convince him to teach me!” Aang said, firmly.

Sokka sighed, exhausted and defeated. “We’ll talk about it in the morning.”

He laid down, prompting the others to do the same, rolling over to face Kallik’s back. He was still, and his breathing showed he was nowhere close to asleep. Katara was right. It was unlikely there would be many firebending masters who would want to teach Kallik as he was, Spirit-touched and full of Water Tribe teachings. Sokka figured it was also unlikely that Kallik would want to pretend to be anything else.

At least the river was nice. He would scope it out tomorrow for some good fishing spots.

He had a feeling they would be here for a while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Writing Notes:
> 
> 1\. There was a subplot that came and went for me with this one. It popped up in my head and I went, "Ooo-la-la, the drama!" and then I smacked myself and said "Don't be weird. Knock that off." To be fair, it's Aang being weird. But it was kind of jarring and out of place. If you're curious, you know where to find me. 
> 
> 2\. Kallik did not get _seriously_ injured by the polar leopard. Like, he got a deep enough wound that required stiches. And Katara's 10 year old brain remembered the sheer epicness of her biggest older cousin *COUGH*brother*COUGH* getting hurt and having to fix him. But I can't imagine him going out on hunts and not getting into trouble. He's an unlucky guy. And Sokka is constantly going with him, so the bad luck rubs off. ;-)
> 
> 3\. Hello, Blue Spirit mask. Come on, how could I not?
> 
> 4\. Oh Aang. You idiot. Also, _how_ did Sokka know that Chey was a former Fire Nation soldier? I don't think he did. I think he's got biases. Kallik knows this, but it still stings considering the things Sokka noticed are things Kallik has (Fire Nation eyes and experience with fire). 
> 
> 5\. I've been wanting Kallik to have an angry, fiery outburst for forever, and for several chapters I was pretty sure Aang was going to be the cause of it. So here it is.
> 
> 6\. If any of you want to know why Kallik is being trained immediately when Jeong Jeong doesn't really take any students, hopefully that will be cleared up in the next chapter. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! Please leave a kudos if you were entertained, and a comment to share your thoughts. I'm [@hanuko](https://hanuko.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr, so feel free to come by and say hello!


	25. Chapter Twenty-four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Maybe he should have just tried harder with Kallik. These were proving to be the worst firebending lessons ever._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!
> 
> I'm much further along then I expected to be, so here is a mid-week update! I'll probably have the next chapter up in a couple of days. 
> 
> Hope you like this one!

Kallik was not surprised when Aang accompanied him to the little hut on the river. He was awake late the night before, listening to them chat around him. Aang reached a point where he couldn’t take no for an answer anymore and stormed out of the hut to speak with Jeong Jeong. Later he returned, ecstatic because the man finally agreed to teach him. Kallik was glad he was pretending to be asleep. He had nothing to say about it that would make Aang happy.

Aang chattered at him excitedly about what they would learn as they came to a halt outside Jeong Jeong’s door. Kallik remained quiet. He wasn’t sure what made the firebending master change his mind, but he hoped the man would be more beneficial as a teacher for Aang than he had been. Instead of responding to Aang’s theories, he thought about the piercing stare Jeong Jeong gave him before telling him in no uncertain terms that he would train him. He recalled the perplexed looks the other three gave him when he agreed that he did know why Jeong Jeong said he needed it, even though he didn’t explain.

That fire nearly got out of his control, last night. He didn’t even realize what it was doing as it reacted to his fear and stress and anger. Every word he threw at Aang made his anger burn hotter, and it had to go somewhere. They were in the middle of the forest. The candle trick was helping him learn control, yes, but the advice from Agni gave him more power over flames than he knew what to do with. He could put out fires, but if it got too big, what could he do? The thought frightened him. He was dangerous if he couldn’t control his bending. That was what Jeong Jeong saw in him, and that was why he needed to be trained. Kallik was as sure of that as he was of anything.

“Maybe he’ll teach us fireballs first. Or fire jets! Maybe he can teach us how to do that cool trick the magician did in the square with the doves,” Aang continued. Kallik resisted the urge to sigh at his friend’s antics. Aang just wouldn’t listen. He wanted to do flashy things and show off. He wanted to do something impressive. He could already bend air in ways no one had ever heard of, and he was learning water quicker than Katara ever could. Fire was different from the other elements, though.

Kallik couldn’t explain to him how volatile fire was. He didn’t have the words to describe the fear people had when they looked at him if a spark jumped out of the cooking fires back home, even when he had nothing to do with it. He didn’t know how to say how disgusted he was at his abilities sometimes, especially after seeing the skin under his father’s bandages and knowing that another person who could bend his element wreaked the damage. Aang didn’t see the terror that fire could bring. He just thought of it as some toy he could play with. The more Kallik thought about it, the more he came to the realization that Aang probably wouldn’t learn until someone got seriously hurt. He hoped it would never come to that.

The curtain was pulled open, and Jeong Jeong stepped out. He studied them carefully.

“You,” he pointed at Aang. Aang bowed.

“Yes master?” Aang asked, eyes bright and eager.

“Stay here. Think about what I told you last night before I agreed to teach you. I will come back. You,” he pointed at Kallik. Kallik straightened his spine and lifted his head, giving Jeong Jeong his full attention. He didn’t speak, but apparently, he didn’t need to.

“You will come with me,” Jeong Jeong said, leading Kallik back towards the other hut. Beyond that there was a path that went up some rocky cliffs.

“What?” Aang asked. Kallik could hear the pout in his voice. “But I thought we would train together!”

“I am the master here!” Jeong Jeong said harshly. “You want to learn firebending so badly, you will do what I say.”

“But—”

“No!” Kallik’s eyes widened. Jeong Jeong was more severe than anyone else he had met.

Aang sighed. “Yes master,” he said, sullenly. Jeong Jeong nodded and began walking again, leading Kallik away from the hut. As they climbed the hill by the little house they slept in that night, Katara stepped out, rubbing her eyes.

“Morning,” she said to him and Kallik nodded in return. “Morning, Master Jeong Jeong.” The older firebender seemed taken aback by the way she greeted him, but after a moment he bowed courteously to her.

“Good morning,” he said. Kallik could hear Sokka snoring loudly inside. Jeong Jeong’s eye twitched. “Is the water tribe boy going to wake up?”

Katara smirked and pulled a little water from her canteen. “I’ll make sure of it,” she said. Kallik snickered, then straightened his face when Jeong Jeong looked back at him, curiously.

Kallik cleared his throat. “Sokka can be very difficult to wake up in the mornings. Sometimes, he needs a push. Like dumping water on his face.”

“He does not get angry when you do this?” Jeong Jeong asked. “He seems to be in charge of your group.”

“Oh, he gets mad,” Katara said, easily, “but I’m his sister. He can deal with it.”

“He may act like he’s in charge,” Kallik added, “but we’re family. He listens to us, and he won’t stay mad. They’ve been doing this for forever.”

Jeong Jeong stared at him for a moment, curiously. “Ah,” he said, nodding. “Very well. Come, pupil.” He resumed his walk towards the cliffs. Kallik shrugged at Katara and followed. The sun was barely over the horizon as they climbed the rock path to the top of the small mountain. Once they reached the peak, Kallik stared around, stunned by the view of the forest beneath them.

“Wow,” he whispered. Jeong Jeong turned back to face him.

“Do you have a name, student?” he asked. His question came out as harsh as everything else he had said so far.

“Kallik, master,” he answered.

“That is a Water Tribe name,” Jeong Jeong said, raising an eyebrow. Kallik nodded. Jeong Jeong’s eyes darted over to the white braid framing his face. “Hmm. Who is your family?” he asked.

“Bato and Kyra, of the Southern Water Tribe,” Kallik answered, honestly. The old man stared at him, humming in thought.

“Tui has given her blessing to you,” he said. Kallik swallowed and nodded again. “How are members of the water tribe your parents? Did you come to live at the South Pole? Or were you born there?”

Kallik swallowed against the bitter resentment climbing up the back of his throat. He was so sick of this question. If Jeong Jeong noticed his discomfort, he didn’t show it, waiting patiently for Kallik to answer.

“My mother and father told me I was carried to them on an Earth Nation ship. They told me I came to them from La after they prayed to her for a miracle,” he said, not breaking eye contact.

Jeong Jeong did not appear surprised at the tale, nor did he dispute Kallik’s words. He simply nodded.

“This is good, that you have so much water,” he said in a lower voice. “I have not taken a student in a long time. Fire is alive. It is dangerous, and it will control you, if you do not have the will to control it.” Kallik nodded in agreement. Jeong Jeong’s face softened. “However, I do not think that will be a problem for you. I don’t meet many benders who first learn to put fires out.”

“That… wasn’t the first thing I learned,” Kallik said, hesitantly. “At least, I don’t think it was.”

Jeong Jeong raised an eyebrow, silently waiting for Kallik to continue.

“I… I think I’ve been using it without knowing since I was very small. When things got too cold, I would heat them up with my hands, and I know how to make the air around me warmer when we need it. Those—those were the first things I could do.”

“Hmm.” Jeong Jeong watched him curiously. “What was the first thing you did that you knew was firebending?”

Kallik pressed his lips together, swallowing as his throat got tight. He hated thinking about that day, and about the soldiers who came to raid their village. He hated remembering the look in that man’s eyes turn from bored to disgusted when he punched a flame at him, trying to protect Aunt Kya with his tiny body.

Jeong Jeong didn’t push. He didn’t wrest the words from him, the way Iroh would if he wanted the answer. He stood still and waited, much like his father would when Kallik needed to tell him something. He let him mull over the words carefully and did not rush him, but he also did not leave it alone. He required an answer.

So Kallik told him about the day of the raid. He described the first fire he made out of fear and a desire to protect his family. He explained how he pushed enemy fire away from them while he hoped someone would come help them.

He didn’t tell him about the fear he saw in his aunt’s and uncle’s eyes, but he got the feeling he didn’t need to share that. Jeong Jeong’s eyes relaxed a touch, and he nodded slowly.

“Benders in the Fire Nation are tested when their parents think they see the spark. They are taught from a very young age,” Jeong Jeong explained. “Typically, firebenders are able to manifest their first flames when they are about six years old. How old were you?”

“I was nine,” Kallik said, quietly.

“But you were subconsciously using your bending before. For how long?”

Kallik frowned as he thought about it, then shrugged.

“I’m not sure. I know I first realized I could do it after that day but…. I think I’ve been heating things up and drying things out as far back as I can remember.”

He wasn’t prepared for Jeong Jeong’s eyebrows to disappear into that scruffy white hairline. As quickly as the surprise came it went, and Jeong Jeong was neutral once again.

“Very well,” he said. “Spread your feet and sink, distributing your weight between both feet evenly.” Kallik frowned and did as he was told, entering a half-squat. “Widen you stance and bend your knees more.” Kallik did followed the direction, glad he was used to waiting in uncomfortable positions from hunting.

“Hmm,” Jeong Jeong said. “Make your hands into fists, and put them in front of your hips.” Kallik fixed his position until Jeong Jeong gave a careful nod.

“Good,” he said. “Now, you will stay here and breathe.”

“Breathe?”

“Yes. Firebending comes from the breath, although I guess I don’t have to tell you that,” he said.

“What do you mean?” Kallik asked, frowning. Jeong Jeong examined him, perplexed.

“You don’t know?”

Kallik shook his head. Jeong Jeong stared at him longer, then sighed.

“Fire is alive, and like many things that are alive, it needs to breathe. It needs air, or it will suffocate and die. Power in firebending comes from proper breath control. I assumed you knew this, since you held your breath when you wanted to put the fires out.”

Kallik gaped at him.

“I… I always hold my breath, I think,” he said, quietly. “I get nervous, and I hold my breath when I’m nervous.”

“Fire is dangerous, Kallik,” Jeong Jeong said, saying his name for the first time, “but you cannot allow fear of it to control you. We are cursed to carry this element, therefore we are responsible to prevent it from growing into something we cannot control. It is destructive, and it will burn everything in its path if we aren’t careful. You must let go of your fear enough to take ownership of fire.”

Kallik frowned. What Jeong Jeong said didn’t seem right.

“I thought that fire… was life,” he offered. Jeong Jeong shook his head.

“No, I said fire was alive, not life,” he said, folding his arms over his chest.

“That’s not—I don’t mean what you said, master,” Kallik said. “I met… someone… who told me that fire is life. Fire is creation, warmth, and light. It can protect people.”

Jeong Jeong stared at him through narrowed eyes. “Fire is chaos,” he said, plainly. “It maims and kills. It will destroy everything in its path, if we let it.”

“But so does water,” Kallik said as the sun rose higher in the sky. He could almost hear those words Agni said, whispered again in the shell of his ear. “So does earth, and air. Every element can help or hurt. We have to find balance.”

“Without the bender, a rock does not throw itself,” Jeong Jeong said, firmly. “Fire will grow and consume, though, if left alone.”

“Rockslides happen all the time,” Kallik said, furrowing his eyebrows. “When they do, they tear through everything. No bender is needed for that. Snow and ice will avalanche at the barest hint of a new sound or from the heat of the sun. Storms appear on land and sea without any provocation. In nature, all these things occur without human interference.”

Jeong Jeong frowned severely. “Who was this wise teacher who thought to tell you that fire is no more or less destructive than the other elements?” he asked. Kallik could hear the irritation in his voice.

“I don’t think you would believe me,” he said, looking out into the horizon. The sun rose higher, warming his skin despite the breeze.

“I will be the judge of that,” Jeong Jeong replied.

“Traveling with the Avatar can lead you all sorts of different places,” Kallik said carefully. “I happened to get pulled into the Spirit World once, because of what he does, and that day I met Agni.”

Jeong Jeong’s eyes went wide, the right less so because of the scars that marred his face, and he swallowed.

“I… see.” He stared at Kallik a bit longer, staring at him until he became uncomfortable.

“Master?” he asked.

Jeong Jeong blinked and cleared his throat. “You will breathe deeply, in through the nose and out through the mouth. While you do this, focus on the sun. It is the greatest source of fire, and it is in balance with nature. Feel its heat. Feel its power. Use the breath to strengthen the fire in your heart.”

“Yes, master,” he replied, taking breaths as instructed.

“Good,” Jeong Jeong said. “I must go to the Avatar and start his lesson. Continue until I return.”

Kallik said nothing, settling himself further in the stance, breathing deeply as the sun inched higher and higher in the sky.

Kallik briefly wondered how Aang would do with Jeong Jeong’s training method, knowing the boy was expecting something a little more tangible.

The thought drifted away as he focused on the heat and power of the sun, his breaths, and the flickering flame hidden inside his chest.

* * *

Aang huffed, trying and failing to concentrate on the feeling of the sun. Instead of focusing on the greatest source of fire in the world, his thoughts turned towards Kallik and what his lessons were. He was probably already being trained on how to make fireballs. Aang tried to contain the resentment he felt towards the older boy. Kallik didn’t even _ask_ for lessons. Jeong Jeong took one look at the teenager, asked him to demonstrate _one_ skill, then said he would train him, no questions asked. Aang had to beg and plead for Jeong Jeong to agree, and the man was still highly reluctant to train Aang at all.

“Come with me,” the gruff voice of his master said behind him.

“Finally,” Aang muttered, stretching. He had never had to hold that kind of position for so long. His thighs were killing him. Sokka was reeling in a fish behind him to add to his catch, and Katara was practicing some more advanced waterbending forms from the scroll as a fire reduced to coals nearby. Aang looked around, surprised to see Jeong Jeong was alone.

“Where’s Kallik?” he asked. Katara dropped the water back in the river and turned to watch them, her face concerned.

“Doing as he is told,” Jeong Jeong said, quickly. Aang glanced back at Katara and shrugged, but gave her a reassuring smile. He didn’t believe any harm would come to Kallik from Jeong Jeong. He hoped she realized this too. “Now come.” The firebending master turned and started walking up the path where he had taken Kallik earlier that morning.

Aang sighed, thinking—not for the first time today—about the tension that had developed between him and the older boy. Kallik had been so strict lately. After they escaped from the abbey and left the Fire Nation princes behind, he sat Aang down and told him about some behaviors he was concerned about. He didn’t like it when Aang told white lies to them. He especially didn’t like it when Aang kept secrets. Aang apologized about the map again, but Kallik explained it wasn’t just that. It was so much more, and it went right back to the beginning when he didn’t want to tell any of them who he really was.

After they talked everything out, Aang was uncomfortable, to say the least. He didn’t like being called out that way. He didn’t think he had done anything too terrible, and the others seemed to agree, considering they were still traveling with them. Kallik was acting like he was in charge of them, or something. Like the older monks who told him when it was time to work and time to play. Kallik wasn’t that much older than them. He needed to loosen up. Aang couldn’t understand why they shouldn’t have a bit more fun.

Aang looked around the dusty, rocky path they walked along, which led them high above the trees. The area seemed really remote. Aang felt a flutter of excitement. Finally he would be able to do some real bending.

“Are we coming up here so I don’t burn anything with my fire blasts?” he asked, grinning.

“No fire yet,” Jeong Jeong said, voice stern.

“What?” Aang shouted. Jeong Jeong refused to answer. He continued leading Aang to the top of the cliff where they found Kallik was squatting, facing the scenery below them.

“Pupil Kallik!” Jeong Jeong barked. “Relax your stance.” Kallik straightened up immediately and rolled his neck. Aang winced when he heard it pop. He turned around and offered Aang a small smile. Aang gave him a hesitant smile in return. Maybe the break from each other would help smooth things out.

“Did you learn any fire blasts yet?” he asked. Kallik opened his mouth to respond, but Jeong Jeong cut him off.

“No talking!” he growled. “You should not concern yourself with the lessons of others. Pupil Kallik, you will return to the river. Help your kin, then eat and recover your strength.”

Kallik looked between Aang and Jeong Jeong. “Master,” he said, “I know that when we went to meet you, Aang had not eaten anything yet.”

“You question my methods?” Jeong Jeong asked, harshly. “You wonder if I am capable of caring for my students?”

“I am responsible for the wellbeing of my family,” Kallik responded, coolly. Aang gaped at him. He couldn’t believe how quickly Kallik would argue with a master. Silence stretched, weighing uncomfortably between them.

“Kallik, I ate some jook before my first lesson,” Aang said. “I’m fine.”

Kallik nodded and bowed to Jeong Jeong, then walked past them and down the path towards the river. Aang watched him go, feeling a little warmth at his concern. He was glad that even though things were tense right now that Kallik still worried over him.

“Power in firebending comes from the breath,” Jeong Jeong said, guiding Aang to the spot Kallik left. “That is why you must master proper breath control.”

Aang deflated. “You brought me up here to breathe?” Jeong Jeong closed his eyes, mouth turned down in a scowl.

“Assume your stance,” he said. Aang sighed and sunk back into the crouch he held earlier that day. “Wider,” Jeong Jeong said. Aang looked at him and saw he still hadn’t opened his eyes.

“But you aren’t even look—”

“Wider!” he shouted. Aang huffed and did as he was told, moving his feet further apart. “Now inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth. Without talking.”

Aang followed the instruction, filling his lungs deeply with air and exhaling slowly.

“Good. Good,” Jeong Jeong said. “Keep going.” Then Jeong Jeong walked away, leaving Aang alone on the mountain top to breathe.

Maybe he should have just tried harder with Kallik. These were proving to be the worst firebending lessons ever.

* * *

“Do it again.”

“But I don’t know what I’m doing wrong!”

“Again!”

Sokka snickered as Kallik groaned in despair behind him, smirking as he watched Kallik get up from the ground _again_. The old man kept saying something about a weakness in his stance, which was why he couldn’t complete the last kata of the set. Watching his cousin do the same set over and over, only to fall on his butt after a midair kick shouldn’t have been so satisfying. Then again, it was his and Aang’s fault that they were still here, so he figured he was allowed a little amusement. 

“Push and pull, Kallik!” Katara shouted beside him. “Be like the moon and tides. Push and pull!”

“You’re not helping,” Kallik grumbled at her, positioning himself in the first kata.

“Sure I am,” she replied, cheerfully. “Shift your weight through the motions, like waves coming to the shore. You can do it. You do it all the time when you fight.”

Kallik sighed before drawing a steady breath and starting again. Sokka watched as Kallik punched and kicked, following the same forms Jeong Jeong had showed him. He raised his eyebrow as Kallik moved fluidly from one position to the next. His hands and feet cut through the air sharply, but now there was something easier about the motions. Finally, he came to the last kata, where he pushed himself up into the air and made his leg kick forward before coming down in a gentle crouch. Sokka whooped when he finally landed properly, and Katara cheered when he came back up and bowed to Jeong Jeong. When he straightened up, Sokka could clearly see the surprise on his face.

Together, the three of them looked at Jeong Jeong, waiting for his judgement. Silence stretched between them, long and uncomfortable until the firebender stroked his beard once, then nodded. Kallik’s face broke out into a grin, and Sokka felt immensely proud of his cousin.

“Good,” Jeong Jeong said. Kallik bowed to him.

“Thank you, Master,” he said, letting out a tired sigh.

“Now, do it again,” Jeong Jeong said, folding his arms over his chest. Sokka watched Kallik’s face fall before he straightened up and resumed the initial stance. Now that he had finally done it, Katara went back to the river to check the fish they were smoking. Sokka stayed to watch. Firebending stances without fire probably seemed boring to most, but the boy wondered if he could apply the moves to unarmed fighting. If he were ever weaponless, this could come in useful.

“I had never thought to compare our basic stances to waterbending,” Sokka heard in his ear. He yelped and clutched his chest, surprised that Jeong Jeong was next to him now.

_Yeesh, this guy is like a ghost!_ he thought, offering him a nervous grin.

“Well, I wouldn’t know,” he said, shrugging. “I don’t bend. Katara’s advice does remind me a little of the Kyoshi Warriors fighting style, though. We learned that from them. I think their techniques would be pretty combatable with what you’re teaching Kallik.”

“Oh?” Jeong Jeong asked. “I’ve never seen them fight. They have always been neutral in the war, and I never had a desire to venture so far south.”

Sokka hummed thoughtfully as Kallik landed in the crouch again. When Jeong Jeong said nothing else, he looked up to see the older man eyeing him carefully. Sokka smiled hesitantly.

“Halt,” Jeong Jeong said, as Kallik prepared to go through the motions again. “You should join him,” he said, gesturing for Sokka to stand next to Kallik. Kallik looked about as perplexed as he did.

“What?”

“Join him,” Jeong Jeong said, waving Sokka over to Kallik. Sokka, completely unnerved by the former general, uttered a squeak and ran over to Kallik, standing next to him.

“Begin,” Jeong Jeong said. Sokka found himself bowing beside Kallik, then moving through the same stances from beginning to end. He had a good grasp on it and didn’t fall once.

“How do you do that?” Kallik grumbled, wiping his brow. “I fell so many times! You can’t be better at firebending than me, too. That’s just not fair.”

“Considering I can’t bend anything, I’m pretty sure I’ll never be better at firebending than you,” Sokka laughed. “Master Jeong Jeong, can you tell me why I’m joining the lesson?”

Jeong Jeong watched them, letting out a quiet hum. “When you leave this place, Kallik will need to practice his form. You seem to have a good eye and are quick to understand the basics. I have found one does better with a partner when training.”

Sokka blushed. This was a huge step up from oaf. Something bothered him about Jeong Jeong’s statement thought.

“What about Aang?” he asked.

“Enough for now,” Jeong Jeong said, waving them off. “My student needs a break. Go rest by the river.” Kallik and Sokka both bowed to him and turned back to where the fish was smoking. Katara was frowning.

“What’s wrong?” Sokka asked.

“Oh, it’s not quite hot enough,” she said, stoking the coals.

“Don’t do that too much, or you won’t dry out the fish right!” Sokka complained.

“Well, what do you propose we do about it?” she asked, arching an eyebrow. Sokka rolled his eyes. Katara was such a brat.

“Duh. Kallik, old buddy old pal,” he said, slapping Kallik on the shoulder. Kallik huffed.

“I am not your personal smoker, Sokka,” he growled.

“Hey, it’s not just for me,” Sokka said, making his eyes huge and innocent. Kallik was a sucker for puppy eyes. “Come on. Think of the group. We all need to eat, right?”

Kallik huffed, waving Katara off and taking her place. “Glad to know my bending can be put to good use,” he muttered.

“Hey,” Sokka said, shrugging, “so you’re not being taught how to make big walls of fire. Maybe you’re not that kind of firebender. Maybe you’re the kind of firebender who can dry clothes and smoke fish. Speaking of,” he gestured to row of fish hanging over a stick above the coals. Kallik stared at him, his eye twitching. Nevertheless he waved his hands, spreading the heat more evenly and making the bed of coals glow a brilliant red just shy of too hot. Sokka grinned.

“Thanks buddy,” he said, clapping Kallik on the shoulder. He shivered slightly, an uneasy feeling passing over him. Sokka turned around and saw Jeong Jeong watching them, his head tilted and his mouth turned down in a curious frown. He had an almost awed expression on his face. When he caught Sokka staring he straightened up, then walked back to his hut on the river.

“Hey, where did these come from?” Chey asked, startling Sokka. He turned around to see the older man stumbling towards them with something in his arms. Sokka rolled his eyes as he sat next to them, recognizing the item he carried as Kallik’s weird swords.

“Were you going through our stuff?” he asked, frustrated.

“No!” Chey exclaimed, setting them down on the ground before the teenagers. “They were out by the bison.”

“That was my fault,” Katara said. “I was busy getting our flint out and forgot to put them back. Sorry,” she said to Kallik. He offered her a smile as he continued moving the heat through the air.

“It’s okay,” he said. He turned his face to Chey to acknowledge him. “Those are mine. A Fire Nation soldier gave them to me to help me fit in at one of their strongholds.”

“The dao is an impressive weapon,” Chey said. “Do you know how to use these blades?” Kallik shook his head.

“Honestly, they’re just decorative right now,” he said with a shrug.

“Do you want to learn?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Writing Notes:
> 
> 1\. You all had some interesting theories! No, Jeong Jeong didn’t recognize Kallik. I don’t think he would have a reason to know him. I don’t see him interacting much with Ozai. He, like many, just assumes that Zuko is dead. The reason Jeong Jeong wanted to train him is he puts fires out, he clearly understands the dangers of his element, AND he can’t go around untrained. It’s an accident waiting to happen. 
> 
> 2\. I honestly think Zuko was SO NORMAL for when he started firebending. I think Azula is a prodigy. I think most of the members of the royal family are prodigies. I think they expected Zuko to come out spitting fire because Avatar Roku was his great grandfather. It drives me batty, so yes, at any opportunity, I’m going to normalize the age that Zuko first learned bending. ;-)
> 
> 3\. Oh Agni. You take care of your boy, please. Keep him on the straight and narrow. Hiding out in the background, being all sunny. ;-) 
> 
> 4\. Honestly, I agree with Aang a little bit. The others are so serious ALL the time (even Sokka, through all his sarcasm). Kids should not be that serious. I know they have to be, but I want them to goof off and do kid things. I can see where Aang is coming from, here.
> 
> 5\. I don’t know what I’m talking about with Katas. I watched some really cool youtube videos for Karate championships and this was a category, and it reminded me of the firebending stances so, I went with it. 
> 
> 6\. I don’t think Jeong Jeong really intended to do much training for Aang. I understand why he gave him such basics, but he’s a smart guy and knows they’re on the move. Aang was right when he said he’s past meditating. He should probably have learned stances, too (in my opinion). Maybe I’m wrong, but I think Jeong Jeong was just biding his time until Aang left, giving him very basic instruction and trying to drill into him that this element is dangerous. When Katara got hurt, he realized this was not going to work out the way he wanted at all. Just a personal headcanon of mine. Feel free to disagree. 
> 
> 7\. Did you think I FORGOT about the swords? I’ve been SO excited to get those swords in Kallik’s hands. XD
> 
> Thanks for reading! Please leave a kudos if you were entertained, and a comment to share your thoughts. Feel free to come holler at me on [Tumblr!](https://hanuko.tumblr.com/)


	26. Chapter Twenty-five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“Kallik?” the man snickered, standing up again. “What kind of a filthy name is that?” Kallik glared at the man, baring his teeth._
> 
> _“It’s the name my mother gave me,” he snarled._
> 
> _“No,” the man drawled, getting into a new fighting stance. “I remember the name your mother gave you.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to get this up this weekend, but I didn't finish editing in time. Sorry y'all! This is the last one for the Deserter. Hope you enjoy!

“Learn restraint,” Aang huffed, stomping away from the small lodging. “I know how to restrain myself! Why won’t he teach me something useful? It’s not _my_ fault he had a student who got power hungry and crazy! Why is he treating me like this?”

He had been left alone on the top of that cliff for what felt like hours. When he finally came back, Aang decided to look for his master to ask why he wouldn’t give him a real firebending lesson. When he found the man brewing tea with Kallik nowhere in sight, he got even more frustrated. He walked angrily down the bank of the river until he found Katara. She was minding some fish, poking at the ones draped on a stick over a bed of coals.

“Hey Katara,” he said, glumly. She looked up at him, startled, but gave him a huge smile.

“Aang! I didn’t expect to see you,” she said, turning her attention back to the fish. “Kallik said if you were doing the same lesson he was that you probably wouldn’t be done for a little while.”

Aang sighed, sitting next to her. He wrapped his arms around his knees. “I don’t even want to talk about these stupid lessons,” he muttered. Katara’s smile dimmed. He winced. “Sorry, Katara. I just don’t understand what Master Jeong Jeong is trying to teach me,” he said, waving his hand back towards Jeong Jeong’s hut. He looked at the fish, still pink over the stick it cooked on. “What are you doing, anyway?”

“Smoking fish,” she said, smiling. “It takes a day, sometimes two. Having Kallik around speeds up the process, though. Of course, that means we have to eat it sooner—it won’t keep as long if it’s cooked faster—but this supply won’t spoil for a few days.”

“Oh yeah,” Aang said, scratching the back of his head. “It’s still a long way to the North Pole. I can’t believe I forgot about food.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Katara said. “I’ve done some foraging and found some fruits and nuts, and Sokka has done some hunting. This forest is really abundant. Also, Jeong Jeong gave us a bag of rice, so we should have enough provisions to survive until we get there.”

Aang blinked at her, surprised by her forethought. “Wow, Katara that’s—thanks for doing all that. I should have helped.”

“You’re trying to learn firebending,” she said, easily. “So is Kallik. Me and Sokka can do a little extra this time.”

Aang swallowed his guilt down. Katara and Sokka had to do extra work so they could survive the rest of the trip, and he was arguing with his firebending master instead of learning the lessons. He flushed, hiding his face in his knees.

“Where _is_ Kallik?” he mumbled, wondering what new lesson Jeong Jeong had him doing. _He’s probably throwing fireballs right now._

“You just missed him,” she chuckled. “Jeong Jeong had him take a break, and Chey offered to teach him how to use those new swords of his. Want to see?” Aang nodded and together they left the fish, moving a short distance away into the trees. Chey was holding his own pair of swords, circling Kallik. The teenager mimicked him poorly.

“You’re still thinking about it wrong,” Chey said. Kallik stopped and lowered his blades, hanging his head.

“I don’t understand,” he said, sullenly. “They’re two swords, not one. How can they move separately and together at the same time? When I use my machete and hunting knife, they’re separate.”

Chey chuckled. “That’s because they _are_ separate. The dao isn’t. Okay, so my master taught it to me like this: they don’t work as well alone. They can, but when they’re apart they’re less powerful. When they work together, though, they’re a force to be reckoned with.”

“That’s really not helping,” Kallik sighed. Chey sheathed his swords then walked over to Kallik, adjusting the position of his arms so he was holding the swords properly.

“They’re like partners in a dance. They move together, each doing one half of the same part.” Kallik thought about this, then slowly moved the blades in what looked like a sword stance. “There you go!” Chey grinned, resuming his position across from Kallik. They circled again, but this time Kallik mimicked the move Chey was doing almost perfectly.

“Why is Kallik working on his break?” Aang asked, brow furrowed.

“I don’t think Kallik knows how to take a break,” she muttered. She turned around and walked back to the fish. Aang followed her.

“What do you mean?” he asked, sitting next to her again. She shrugged.

“I mean, ever since his mom died, he’s been very—responsible. For everything. He taught himself how to sew, he learned how to cook, and he knows how to build most of our traps. He works a lot.” She looked back to make sure no one was behind her before she leaned close to Aang, smirking.

“Sokka told me—and he’s been best friends with Kallik forever so he knows—he told me that Kallik used to be the best penguin sledder.”

“What?” Aang exclaimed, leaning back. “He likes sledding?”

“Yep,” she grinned. “He likes boating, too, when he can do it for fun. When Bato took us Ice Dodging, I think that’s the most fun I’ve seen Kallik have in years.”

“But he’s a kid, too,” Aang said, perplexed. Katara sighed.

“I know,” she said. “You have to understand, Aang, when our fathers left, we were responsible for the whole village. The mothers and the older kids had to take care of everything. That’s why Sokka is so pushy about sticking to the schedule and getting to the North Pole as soon as possible. It’s why Kallik acts a bit like Sokka is chief, and he makes sure to get chores done around the camp without having to be nagged. It’s why I gather supplies in our free time. This is how we survive at the South Pole.” She picked the fish off of the stick, laying it on top of one of the leather bags.

“Besides,” she added, “by our standards, Kallik is practically an adult. He’s old enough to be betrothed.”

“What?” Aang asked, eyes wide. “How old do you—what?”

“So is Sokka,” Katara shrugged. “You have to be sixteen years old. They’re considered old enough to build their own house and contribute to the village. That’s why they can be so strict. Especially Kallik, because he’s the oldest. We’ve always been his responsibility.”

“That’s why he’s taking this so seriously,” she added. “The fact that he’s taking a break to do this instead of worrying is a little surprising. I think he knows what an opportunity this is, so he’s using the time as best as he can.”

Aang shrunk into himself. He really should take advantage of what he’d been given. Master Jeong Jeong was trying to explain that if he weren’t careful, something dangerous could happen. Aang was being stubborn for no good reason. He was acting out because he didn’t think he was being taken seriously. In actuality, he was the one being disrespectful, to both Master Jeong Jeong and his friends.

“I need to get back to my training, Katara,” he said, rising to his feet. Katara waved goodbye as Aang trudged back towards the small hut. He sat on a rock in the river to wait. Soon, Master Jeong Jeong came out, pausing to stare at him.

“I’ve thought about what you’ve said,” Aang said, apologetically. “I promise I’ll be more patient.”

“We’re going to work with fire now,” Jeong Jeong replied. Aang’s felt ecstatic. His joy was so boundless that he leaped into the air, grinning madly.

“Oh yeah!” he shouted as he landed on his feet. Jeong Jeong looked unimpressed. “I mean,” he said, bowing carefully, “let us begin.”

* * *

“Where is Jeong Jeong?” Lin Ye asked as he ran into the clearing. Kallik and Chey stopped sparring and straightened up.

“He’s training Aang,” Kallik replied. “The last time I saw him, he was heading towards his lodgings.”

“What’s going on?” Chey asked.

“Fire! By the river!” Lin Ye barked. “There are intruders here!”

Kallik looked back in the direction Lin Ye came from to see smoke rising in the sky. “And you left it?” he asked, incredulously. He sheathed his swords quickly before ran towards the fire, Chey in tow.

“What are you going to do?” he asked as Kallik stopped at the riverbank. Silver boats were sailing down the river. On the deck of the lead boat was a familiar looking man, but Kallik couldn’t quite figure out where he had seen him. His attention was drawn to the fire that was now engulfing a few trees at the edge of the river.

“I’m putting it out!” Kallik shouted back. He paused in front of the tower of flame, gulping at the sheer size of it.

“Whoa,” Chey said, behind him.

“We need buckets of water. Or Katara,” he said to Chey. Chey nodded and ran back to find more help as Kallik turned back around, steeling himself.

_You’ve faced down lava, Kallik. You can do this._

Kallik brought his hands together, flattening his palms. He quickly released his breath, then held the little air that remained in his lungs. He stared at the fire that was slowly shrinking until his eyes watered, pushing his hands down. He felt his heart pounding in his chest as the flame got weaker and weaker. Blood rushed through his ears as Kallik continued to resist the urge to breathe. Finally, the pain in his chest got to be too much and he inhaled sharply. With it, the flame grew again, but Kallik repeated the motion. Over and over he held his breath as long as he could, making the fire shrink until it finally was reduced to nothing. Even the embers had died.

Kallik gagged when he could breathe freely, rubbing his temples at the sudden headache that bloomed behind his eyes. He was practically doubled over, willing himself not to puke as he put his body to rights.

“My, my, my,” a slimy voice drawled behind him, sending shivers up his spine. “That was certainly impressive.”

Kallik straightened up and spun around, hands in front of him. This was the same man from the lead boat. Kallik frowned, trying to figure out how he knew him. The man chuckled, and it came to Kallik like a bolt of lightning.

It was the man from the stronghold—the admiral who gave the speech. He looked Kallik up and down and gave him a sickly smile. Kallik shivered, unnerved by his stare.

“A Fire Nation face with Water Tribe clothes?” he asked softly, putting his hands on his hips. “It must be you. The guest that was aboard Prince Iroh’s ship.”

Kallik swallowed nervously and slid back into a fighting stance. His hand gripped the handles of the blades resting in the sheath at his hip.

The admiral scoffed before he grinned menacingly. His smile almost reached his massive sideburns. It was like seeing the sharp toothed grin of a whale-shark. “A firebender that chooses to fight with blades? It’s not becoming. Come now,” he placed his arms in a firebending stance Kallik had seen a dozen times, while watching the men on Prince Iroh’s ship train. It was a stance he had just learned today. “Why don’t you show me what your made of? If I win, you and the Avatar come with me.”

Kallik arched an eyebrow and said nothing, grounding himself. He took careful, steady breaths, remembering how to catch fire with his fans. Maybe—just maybe, it would work with the swords, too.

“You’re supposed to ask, ‘what if I win?’” the man chuckled. Kallik remained silent, gazing intently at his opponent. He had to be calm, like water. He didn’t need to strike first. He didn’t need to give this man an opening. He would come to Kallik and would regret the moment he moved to strike. Kallik would make sure of that.

“Well, if you win, I’ll let you and your friends go. What do you think about that?” he said in an oily voice.

“I think you’re a liar,” Kallik said, quietly. The admiral’s smile fell, “and I think you’re a fool for believing you could trick me.”

The older firebender scowled. “Then let’s see what you make of this!” he bellowed, shooting out a powerful jet of fire towards Kallik. The teenager dropped and crossed his swords in front of him, moving them outward in a quick slicing motion. The flames were split and tossed on either side of him. Fire still danced on his blades. The older man gaped at him before snarling and throwing another punch. Kallik swung in a circle like Chey showed him, splitting the fire and tossing part back at his opponent from the end of his blade. Then, he leaped into the air and delivered a kick, throwing a burst of fire that forced the other firebender to dispel it as he dropped to his knees.

“Kallik!” Kallik saw Aang running towards him in his peripheral vision.

“Kallik?” the man snickered, standing up again. “What kind of a filthy name is that?” Kallik glared at the man, baring his teeth.

“It’s the name my mother gave me,” he snarled.

“No,” the man drawled, getting into a new fighting stance. “I remember the name your mother gave you.” Kallik stopped breathing for a second, eyes wide.

“It’s Zuko.”

His heart beat wildly in his chest as he gaped at the man in front of him. Everything around him crashed to a halt. This person knew who he was before. He knew who the baby was that La took to Bato and Kyra on an Earth Kingdom ship, away from the Fire Nation.

“What?” he asked, taking a step back.

“Oh yes,” the other firebender continued. “You resemble your father so much. I remember hearing how disappointed he was, when he didn’t see enough spark in you. Look at you now, though.” Kallik shook his head, grip tightening on his blades. “He’ll be pleased to hear how powerful you are, Zuko.”

_Zuko,_ he thought. Why did he know that name? It was so familiar.

_“Breathe, Zuko.”_

Prince Iroh called him Zuko, once, when he talked him down from a fit of anxiety. Was that why they took him? Did they know him too?

“Kallik, watch out!” Aang shouted. Kallik shook himself to see a blast of fire hurtling toward him, which he couldn’t quite dodge. He screamed through his teeth at the searing pain he felt along his upper arm as he fell to his knees, gagging. He was barely able to keep the contents of his stomach at bay.

“No!” Aang shouted, sending a tunnel of wind at the admiral. He slid back but remained standing, turning his attention to Aang. Aang sunk into a new stance. “It’s only fair to warn you I’ve been training with Master Jeong Jeong,” he said. Kallik could hear the bluff in his voice.

“You are Jeong Jeong’s student now?” the man growled. “Let’s see what my old master taught you.”

“ _You_ were Jeong Jeong’s student?” Aang said with disgust. Kallik managed to pull himself back towards the hill and away from the fight. He gripped his arm, gritting his teeth. It hurt. It hurt, it hurt, _it hurt._ He had never been burned before. No wonder people were scared of him. He had had never felt something so awful.

“Until I got bored,” the man replied, throwing a jet of fire at Aang, who dodged out of the way. “I see he taught you how to duck and run like a coward,” he sneered, throwing more fire at the airbender, “but I doubt he showed you what a firebender is truly capable of!”

“Whoa, wild shot!” Aang cried. Kallik looked up and watched him hovering over the ground on his fingertips.

“I’ll show you wild!” Zhao cried, throwing a bigger blast at Aang. Aang dispelled it with his air scooter, then dodged more flames that came at him rapidly. Kallik had to help Aang, but he hurt so badly. He didn’t think he could focus enough to take control of the fires being blasted at him.

“Who are you, anyway?” Aang shouted, dancing away as the trees along the riverbank lit up around them. “Why are you so intent to catch me?”

“I am Admiral Zhao,” the man sneered. “As for catching you, well, that will secure my future more than any other thing I could do. Fire Lord Azulon wants you in chains. Who am I to deny him?” Aang had managed to dart away to Zhao’s boats. The firebender followed him, shooting new fireballs at him.

“Is that all you got?” Aang hollered. “Man, they’ll make anyone an admiral these days.” Kallik groaned. Of course Aang thought it was a good idea to antagonize the man who could shoot fire from his fists.

“Ahoy!” Aang shouted on top of the first boat. Kallik looked up and saw that Aang was turned around, shaking his butt at the admiral. “I’m Admiral Zhao,” the boy continued.

_He’s going to get himself killed,_ Kallik thought, dragging himself to his feet. Zhao shouted and shot a wave of fire at Aang which the airbender neatly dodged. The rest of his boat didn’t, though. Kallik watched the scene with wide eyes, seeing one of the admiral’s riverboats engulfed in flames.

“Huh,” he muttered, watching from the riverbank, still clutching his burned arm. Aang ran back and forth between all the boats with Zhao in tow, causing the man to set fire to all three of them. Once they were steadily burning, Aang paused at the bow of one boat, clearly saying something to Zhao. Then he hopped off and sped back towards Kallik.

“Come on, Kallik,” Aang said, putting his shoulder under Kallik’s good arm and helping him further down the river.

“Aang, what— _ngh!_ ” Kallik nearly stumbled to the ground again. The pain was so severe he could barely see straight. He actually did throw up when Aang tried to pull him along. He was glad it wasn’t his leg that was burned or he didn’t think he would be able to move at all.

“Appa’s ready—Sokka already packed him up according to Katara. We have to go,” Aang said, glancing at the burn wound nervously.

“Aang!” Sokka shouted, waving at them. “Kallik! Let’s go!”

Aang dragged Kallik to the bison and gave him a boost up until Katara and Sokka caught his hands. He screamed in pain when the pulled him into the saddle as Aang took the reins.

“Yip yip!” he shouted. Appa took off into the sky as Kallik curled onto his side in the saddle, exposing his damaged arm to them.

“Oh Spirits,” Sokka whispered. Kallik looked up to see his cousin staring at the wound with some reluctance. His eyes were wide and his dark skin had blanched slightly.

“Come on,” he panted. “It’s not—that bad, is it?” He grunted when Katara shifted him so she could kneel in front of him properly. Judging by the looks on their faces, it was really bad. He didn’t have the guts to look at it, yet.

“Sure,” Sokka said. “It’s, uh, not bad at all. Nothing we haven’t seen before.” Kallik frowned. If Sokka wasn’t making jokes, it had to be really, _really_ bad. He sucked in a careful breath and looked down. Then he pressed his lips together so he wouldn’t puke again.

It was horrifying. His sleeve was gone, leaving behind bright, pink and red skin from the top of his shoulder to his elbow. It looked wet and shiny, and the skin was almost mottled, darker in some places than it was in others. Patches of it swelled, and he could see little blisters forming in some places. Seeing the disgusting remains of his arm made his chest tight. It made the pain come to the forefront of his mind.

It was both exceedingly hot and unbearably cold. His brain could only focus on the tingling, stinging, scraping sensation that radiated from somewhere deep inside his arm. It pulsed and flared and stilled all at once. All he could hear was static. His skin was weeping. A sweat broke out along his brow as he stared, and he felt more than heard a low whine come out of his own throat. It was almost a primal response to the agony that throbbed inside his arm.

“Shh,” Katara hushed him. “Stay still.” He watched her pull water from her canteen and wreathe her hands in it, making them glow. Then she lowered her hands to the dying skin of his arm. He closed his eyes tightly, trying to prepare himself for even more pain. It was all he could do not to jerk away from her.

A soft, cool sensation encased his arm, making him sigh in relief. The pain vanished. He opened his eyes and saw Katara was moving the glowing water from her hands to his arm, surrounding the burn. Kallik watched on, amazed. The hurt he felt disappeared instantly. He never had medicine act so quickly before. Almost as soon as she began, she was done, pulling the water back to her hands. She gestured for Aang to come closer to her while Kallik stared at his now barely marked arm. The skin was a shade lighter than the rest. It was hardly noticeable. 

“Whoa,” he breathed, poking at it. It was completely healed.

“What happened to Jeong Jeong?” Aang asked as Katara healed the minor burns on his hands.

“He brought up this wall of fire to stop the boats. There was a fight, and then he disappeared,” Sokka said. “They all did.” Katara sighed and pulled her hands away, putting the water back in her waterskin.

“Whoa,” Aang said, looking at his hands, “that’s good water.”

“When did you learn to do that?” Sokka asked, raising an eyebrow. His gaze moved between Kallik’s arm and Aang’s hands.

“When Aang accidentally burned me, I stuck my hands in the water and it just happened,” Katara said, shrugging.

“Aang burned you?” Kallik asked with raised eyebrows. Katara made a stern face and Aang cringed.

“It was an accident, Kallik,” she said, firmly. Kallik frowned at the airbender.

“It was because I didn’t listen to Jeong Jeong,” Aang said, softly. “I’m so sorry I hurt you, Katara.”

“As long as you listen to us next time, you’re forgiven,” Katara replied, glancing over at Kallik who watched them with wary eyes. He sighed and shook his head.

“As long as you’re okay,” he said, finally. Katara smiled.

“It was nowhere near as bad as yours,” she replied, assessing his now healed arm. “For a minute I thought you and Bato were going to match.” Kallik chuckled.

“So you just discovered how to heal with your bending?” Kallik asked.

“I guess I always knew,” Katara said, thoughtfully.

“What?” Sokka exclaimed. “Well, thanks for all the first aid over the years! Like when I fell into the greaseberry bramble. Or the time I had two fishhooks in my thumb!”

“Two?” Aang asked, confused.

“He tried to get the first fishhook out with the second fishhook,” Kallik said, finally sitting upright. His heartrate was slowly returning to normal now that they were in the air and flying far, far away from Admiral Zhao.

“And the time the ming snake bit me! Thanks for healing that right up. Or when the tiger-seal thought my leg would be a good lunch. Yep. That was so nice to have you use magic water instead of stitches,” Sokka ranted on, listing all the misfortunes his sister could have fixed. Kallik looked up and caught Aang staring at him.

“Kallik, about what Zhao said—”

“It doesn’t matter,” Kallik said firmly, swallowing against the lump in his throat.

“What did who say?” Katara asked.

“Zhao—he was the guy who captured me while you were sick. He said something to Kallik,” Aang said, hesitantly.

Kallik huffed, folding his arms over his chest. “He said my name is Zuko. That he knows my birth parents,” he muttered, staring sullenly down at his feet. “He recognized me. He said—he said I look like—” he couldn’t finish the sentence. Bato was his father, not some mysterious firebender from the Fire Nation.

Everyone was quiet for a minute, until Sokka snickered.

“What kind of a name is Zuko?” he asked, echoing his own thoughts the very first time he heard the name. Kallik looked up to see his cousin shaking his head. “Glad you came to us, buddy. Could you imagine being called Zuko all your life?”

Kallik felt his mouth start to pull into a smile.

“It’s pretty terrible,” he said, softly. “What would my nickname be? Zuk? Ko?”

“Probably jerkbender,” Sokka replied, making Kallik snort.

“Why am I jerkbender and not Katara?”

“Hey!” Katara shouted, smacking him on the shoulder. “I just healed you. I am not jerkbender.”

“I don’t know,” Sokka said, thoughtfully. “You did wake me up by dumping water on my face.”

Kallik smiled as his cousins argued, Aang giggling beside them. He looked off over the side of the saddle, watching the land disappear rapidly beneath them, thinking about the admiral. That man _knew_ him. He knew Zuko, anyway. Kallik shivered as the sun set behind them.

_It doesn’t matter,_ he thought resolutely. _I’m Kallik, and no one can tell me otherwise._

He tried to ignore the sliver of doubt he felt as they resumed their journey towards the North Pole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Writing Notes:
> 
> 1\. Yes Aang, Kallik did have fun. He still does. He’s just grumpy and mature and responsible. All that crap. XD
> 
> 2\. So I know they had to get out of the forest in canon. There wasn’t a good way to put any of that fire out. But I still cringed a little. And it doesn’t matter, because in my fic they’re still leaving a gross fire behind in a forest, but… well. At least I tried. ;-)
> 
> 3\. That was a pretty massive fire Kallik had to put out. He’s not used to that much bending, even if it’s his best skill. His body told him off for it. 
> 
> 4\. I haaate Zhao. He’s so bad. He’s just this creepy, creepy guy. He’s also incredibly smart, resourceful, and manipulative. And crazy AF. Seriously. He burns who could be a Fire Nation prince without even batting an eye. But I feel this makes sense, considering in canon he thinks it’s a good idea to kill the moon spirit, and he’s a _navy_ man. 
> 
> 5\. Kallik has something between a first and second degree burn when Katara gets ahold of him. That’s a pretty traumatic injury, and he’s starting to go into shock because of it. First degree burns can be nasty, and a burn of that size would need to be seen, cleaned, dressed, etc. And he would need some heavy pain killers for a while if he were healing normally. It would be hard to focus and get moving right away after that kind of injury. 
> 
> 6\. Anybody else hear an ominous “Zu-Zu” on the wind here? No? Just me?
> 
> Thanks for reading! Please leave a kudos if you were entertained, and a comment to share your thoughts. I’m [@hanuko](https://hanuko.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr, so feel free to come by and say hi!


	27. Chapter Twenty-six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“Oh, sure buddy,” Aang nodded, leading Kallik to the main courtyard. Katara stood in front of them, holding a glider and nervously talking with Teo. “I wouldn’t like being left out, either."_
> 
> _“What?” Kallik asked, glancing sharply at Aang._
> 
> _“So I’ll make sure to stick with you, so you get to try it!” Aang cheered, waving at someone to bring a spare glider._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't sure I was going to write the Northern Air Temple. My outline says "sum up," then that's scratched out and there's some notes for how I wanted this to go, then that's scratched out and "sum up" is circled again.... anyway. I ended up deciding to do it for a number of reasons. Partially, it's because this episode is a bit lighter than the upcoming ones, and I wanted something a little less heavy to take a break. It's also because some inventions and characters will become important later on. 
> 
> Plus, you know. Gliders. And Kallik. Who is not so into flying. We'll see if I can change his mind. ;-)
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

“We’re almost at the Northern Air Temple,” Aang exclaimed. Sokka shivered and Kallik huffed out another breath, warming the air slightly. The warmth flew away as they climbed steadily higher in the mountains. Kallik was rubbing his temples, but at least this time he wasn’t on the verge of passing out.

“Doing alright, buddy?” Sokka asked. Kallik shrugged and pulled himself deeper into his coat, closing his eyes. Sokka patted his arm in sympathy.

“Do you think we’ll really find airbenders?” Katara asked, leaning back towards them. Sokka snorted. He was getting so sick of all the delays. He held his tongue this time, though. If there were other airbenders like that old man said, Aang might have something a little more tangible to hang onto in this new world. Sokka wasn’t stupid. He knew the monk sometimes questioned his place in their family. He worried that Aang was setting himself up for disappointment, though.

“Do you want me to be like you or totally honest?” Sokka asked, working on a new carving. He heard Kallik snort beside him.

“Are you calling me a liar?” Katara asked in a snarky voice, glaring at him.

“No,” Sokka said, sliding the knife along the wood carefully. Kallik was always better with this fiddly stuff than him. “I’m saying you’re an optimist.”

“Same thing, basically,” Kallik muttered from his coat. Katara huffed.

“Hey guys, look at this!” Aang shouted. The three straightened up. Kallik pulled his hood down to see better. Sokka gaped. At the very tip of the mountain they approached was a large, ornate building that was tipped with spires. It was the only structure that could be seen for miles. Below were tiny moving specks, flitting around, circling the mountain.

_Airbenders,_ he thought, amazed at the sight of so many gliders hovering around the temple.

“They really are airbenders!” Katara exclaimed, moving back to the front of the saddle.

“No,” Aang said, voice sad, “they’re not.”

“What do you mean they’re not?” Sokka spluttered. “Those guys are flying!”

“Gliding maybe,” Aang grumbled, “but not flying. You can tell by the way they move. They’re not airbending. Those people have no spirit.”

Sokka raised his eyebrows and exchanged a look with Kallik, who looked equally surprised. A laugh made them both look up to see a person with a brown glider fly over them, giggling. Sokka couldn’t make out his face very well, since he was wearing large goggles to cover his eyes. The base of his glider seemed to hold his legs so he stayed in a sitting position.

“I don’t know, Aang,” Katara said, smiling and pointing at the boy. “That kid seems pretty spirited to me!”

Aang growled—actually growled—and jumped off of Appa with his glider in his hands. The sky bison flew into the crowd of not-airbenders, trying to dodge them and bellowing when they got too close. Katara was thrown to the back of the saddle.

“I think we better find some solid ground before it finds us,” Sokka said, crawling up to take the reins. Appa seemed to know where he was going, though. By the time Sokka made it to Appa’s head, the bison was already landing in a wide, empty space beside the temple.

“Go Teo,” Sokka heard one kid cry as he climbed off of Appa. Momo flitted overhead, chittering excitedly.

“Show that bald kid how it’s done!” someone else shouted as the other gliders pulled in and landed on the stone floor outside the temple. Sokka watched with some trepidation as he saw the two sink into a dive, circling each other. Then, Aang steered close to the temple and leaped off his glider. Sokka heard Kallik squeak beside him and turned his head to watch the older boy staring hard at Aang. Kallik visibly let out the breath he was holding when Aang caught his glider and flew back to the Teo-kid everyone was cheering for.

“He wants to give me a heart attack,” Kallik muttered, shaking his head.

“Kids,” Sokka shrugged. Smoke was trailing behind Teo’s glider, and he used it to draw Aang’s face in the sky. “Wow, that’s pretty good!” Sokka said, pointing at the drawing.

Katara giggled. Aang and the other boy both came back to the temple, landing. Sokka realized the boy was sitting in a wheelchair, now rolling towards them. He wondered how they attached and detached the glider so easily on the ground, considering how solidly it held together in the air.

“Hey,” the kid said as he examined them closely, “you’re a real airbender.” His eyes lit up and a huge smile took over his face. “You must be the Avatar! That’s amazing. I’ve heard stories about you!”

“Thanks,” Aang said, blushing a little.

“I’m Teo,” he said, sticking out his hand. Aang shook it.

“I’m Aang. This is Sokka, Katara, and Kallik,” Aang said, pointing to each of them in turn.

“This glider chair is incredible!” Sokka said, not able to contain himself. He moved forward to touch the wing that others were carrying behind the boy, wondering how it all fit together.

“If you think this is good, wait until you see the other stuff my dad designed,” Teo said, wheeling them towards the doors. Sokka grinned as he followed him. He couldn’t wait to see what they had in store.

* * *

Sokka was ecstatic as he examined the machinery that filled the hall, and Teo talked excitedly about his dad’s contraptions that now filled the Air Temple.

Aang was horrified.

“This place is unbelievable,” he said, his chest unbearably tight. It was wrong. This was not how the Northern Air Temple was supposed to look. All the architecture, which had been painstakingly put together with the combined efforts of airbenders and earthbenders hundreds of years before Aang was even born, was ripped apart by metal pipes. Odd smells and smoke filled the air, and the walls creaked and clanged loudly around them.

“Yeah,” Teo said, grinning as he wheeled up to the airbender. “It’s great, isn’t it?”

“No,” Aang said, disappointed, “just unbelievable.” He walked away as Katara moved closer to Teo. Kallik stayed a step behind the monk, also examining the hall with some trepidation. Aang paused in front of the mural on the opposite wall, shaking his head at the metal pipes that punctured the faces of the first monks to grace these halls.

“This is supposed to be the history of my people,” Aang said, softly. Kallik put a hand on his shoulder, making Aang look up at the older boy.

“I’m sorry, Aang,” he said, solemnly. Aang offered him a small smile and continued looking around the room. The fountain was filled with putrid, polluted water, and an ugly plume of smoke ejected from the mouth of the statue above it. Aang cried out in disgust, stepping back.

“I’m sure some parts of the temple are still the same,” Katara said, kindly. Aang looked up at Kallik again and saw him sigh and look away. He probably thought no part of the temple went untouched. Aang sighed too. Kallik usually had the right idea about these things.

He still hoped Katara was right.

* * *

Kallik wasn’t sure what to make of Teo’s father. Po was shifty and kept looking over his shoulder. He shared a lot of traits with people who were hiding something. The teenager sat against the wall of the hall everyone else just vacated, stewing.

Things here didn’t sit well with the firebender.

Katara and Sokka bought that story the mechanist gave them, but Kallik still thought they were missing vital information. He was especially curious how these refugees had the ability to haul up equipment needed to support this endeavor. Sure, they could have built the wrecking ball from supplies here, but the metal pipes? The oil and ropes for the pulley system? Enough spark powder to add it to candles? All of that had to come from somewhere. It set Kallik on edge, knowing something was being kept from him.

Sokka loved Po though. He gushed on and on about how brilliant the man was, and how futuristic his inventions were proving to be. Katara wasn’t much help. The moment he told the story of how Teo lost his mother Katara was hooked.

Well, Kallik had lost his mother, too. Picking up and moving to a new spot didn’t make it go away, and things didn’t come from nowhere. People struck by tragedy were not inherently good because they were trying to get by after something horrible happened in their past. The world wasn’t that rosy, in his opinion. Too bad he couldn’t convince his family of that.

“Hey.” Kallik looked up and slid over a little at Aang’s approach, inviting him to sit down. Aang sat down against the wall next to him, wrapping his arms around his knees. They stayed that way for a while, each musing on their own thoughts.

“Katara and Teo showed me a hermit crab,” Aang said, sullenly. Kallik looked over at him again.

“Um,” he offered, confused. “Okay. Why?”

“To show me that not everything in the temple has been changed. At least that much is the same,” Aang said.

“Oh,” Kallik said, looking straight ahead again. “Well, that’s Katara. She likes to focus on the positive when she can.”

“Yeah, I’ve noticed,” Aang sighed, “but I don’t want to be positive right now.”

“I get that,” Kallik replied.

“Really?” Aang asked, looking at Kallik with wide eyes. Kallik shrugged.

“Sure. Katara has always been like that,” Kallik said. “She’s always trying to find the bright side. Polar winter? We get to stay together all season, and look how much time we have to carve and mend clothes. A boat got broken? Well that’s an excuse to go down to dogwood island. Spirits, even after that burn and what Zhao said—” he cleared his throat and shook himself a little. “Anyway, even after that she was a happy ray of sunshine. You saw how she was. She wouldn’t even let me go off and brood by myself. She can be relentless. I understand wanting a little break from all the positivity.”

“Kallik, what are you talking about?” Aang asked, eyes wide and curious. “I mean, I can get why what Zhao said may have thrown you off, but you know it doesn’t mean anything.”

“Yeah, I know.” Kallik said, hesitantly.

“Kallik—”

“I know, Aang!” Kallik exclaimed. Aang’s wince showed him his voice was probably too harsh. He tried to stop bristling. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to shout. It’s just—it’s really weird. First those princes kidnapped me, then this Zhao guy knew my name? It’s spooky.”

“Well, maybe he was making it up,” Aang shrugged.

“What?” Kallik asked, perplexed.

“Maybe Zhao didn’t actually know your name. Maybe he just said that to freak you out. It worked, didn’t it? That’s how he landed the hit on you.”

“Maybe,” Kallik relented. It didn’t change the fact that Iroh called him the same thing. Then again, maybe it was an elaborate plan to confuse him, so he would be easier to capture.

“What about your burn though?” Aang asked, concerned. “I thought Katara healed it.”

“She did,” Kallik said, rubbing his arm. There barely even a mark. It was like it never happened. It sure felt like it happened, though. The whole incident had become a recurring nightmare for him. The pain. The _smell_. Kallik shuddered at the memory. It took effort to convince himself to use his bending afterwards.

“Then what’s the problem?” Aang asked, eyebrows furrowed.

Kallik sighed. “I don’t know, Aang. I—fire is my element, right?” Aang nodded. “I never—I never learned at first with regular flames. I learned my bending with other stuff. I learned how to move fires and heat around, not how to conjure them up.”

“Right,” Aang nodded. “You told me that before, when you were teaching me.”

“Well, I guess because of the way I taught myself, I’ve never actually gotten burned before.”

“Kallik,” Aang said, frowning, “firebenders get burnt all the time. They burn themselves training. Their doctors have developed all kinds of really good medicines and salves for burns because of that.”

“Well, I’m not Fire Nation Aang. I’m Water Tribe,” Kallik groused.

“Sorry,” Aang said, “I know that. I didn’t mean—”

“It’s okay,” Kallik said, waving off the apology. “I just mean, I’ve always, always managed to avoid burning myself. I’ve managed to avoid burning other people, too. People around me have always been wary of fire, you know? Especially mine. Now it’s like I know firsthand why people are scared of it. It’s reminded me that I have to be more careful.”

“I’m so, so sorry Kallik. I had no idea.”

“It’s fine,” Kallik said, straightening up. “I’ll get over it.”

“I don’t think I will,” Aang said, forlornly. Kallik watched as he lowered his face and stared at the ground. “I burned Katara. I’m never gonna firebend again.”

“You’re gonna have to,” Kallik said, causing Aang to look up at him with wide eyes. “Aang, you’re the Avatar. You are a firebender as much as you are an airbender. You just need to be ready, this time.”

“But, Kallik—”

“Seriously. If I have to do it, you have to do it. You can’t let your fear of the element control you,” Kallik said, firmly. “That was something Master Jeong Jeong said while he was teaching me. If we fear it, it will control us. We have to have the will to look past that.”

“I guess,” Aang said. He swallowed and looked at Kallik with something like resolve. He stuck out his hand towards Kallik. “After I master waterbending, and earthbending, you and I will train together again. Deal?”

Kallik chuckled and shook Aang’s hand firmly with his own. “Deal.” He stared at the intact statues that circled the room. “This is really impressive,” he said, gesturing towards the memorials of airbenders around them.

“Yeah,” Aang said, smiling half-heartedly. “You know, Teo showed me another room. One that only an airbender can get into.”

“Really?” Kallik asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I didn’t open the door,” Aang said. “I couldn’t—it’s the one part of the temple that’s still untouched. I wanted to keep it that way.”

“I understand, Aang,” Kallik said. “You don’t want to invite trouble by opening the door.”

“Yeah,” Aang said, sitting up straight.

“It’s just a shame that you don’t get to see it, too,” Kallik offered, gently. Aang frowned and shrugged. Kallik stood and stretched.

“Where is everyone, anyway?” he asked.

“Sokka went to check out some more of the mechanist’s inventions,” Aang grumbled. “Teo is trying to convince Katara to use a glider.”

“Really?” Kallik asked eyebrows high on his face. “What did she say?”

“She’s still saying no,” Aang chuckled.

“Good,” Kallik said, shaking himself. Flying on Appa was one thing. Flying on a glider with nothing to support you if you fell sounded completely terrifying.

“She’ll be fine if she goes,” Aang said. “Anyone can glide on the currents. As long as she has one of the other gliders with her, she’ll be fine.”

Kallik shook his head. “Nope. No way. I would rather take a trip to Koh’s Lair than try to fly on one of those things.”

“Huh?” Aang asked, scratching his head.

“Never mind,” Kallik said, not wanting to explain his vague understanding of Koh from his mother’s stories.

“Kallik,” Aang asked slyly, climbing to his feet, “are you scared?”

“What?” Kallik spluttered, taken aback. “No!”

_Yes,_ whispered a voice in his head.

_Shut up._

“I mean, I’m a very experienced glider,” Aang said, shrugging. “It really is perfectly safe.” He started walking towards the bridge that connected this room to the main part of the Air Temple.

“I—I’m not saying it isn’t for someone with experience,” Kallik grumbled, following Aang outside.

“I learned from someone with experience, and was safe when I learned,” Aang continued. He still had that weird sing-song voice he used when he was trying to get his way. Kallik narrowed his eyes. “Katara learning with Teo should be safe, since he’s experienced too.”

“I guess,” Kallik said, frowning. “I still don’t like it.”

“Oh, sure buddy,” Aang nodded, leading Kallik to the main courtyard. Katara stood in front of them, holding a glider and nervously talking with Teo. “I wouldn’t like being left out, either.”

“What?” Kallik asked, glancing sharply at Aang.

“So I’ll make sure to stick with you, so you get to try it!” Aang cheered, waving at someone to bring a spare glider.

Kallik felt his heart speed up. “No. No-no-no. No way. Nope.”

“Come on,” Aang pouted. “You said you weren’t scared.”

“I’m not!” Kallik exclaimed, blushing.

“Then do it,” Aang grinned. “Come get a taste of airbending.”

Kallik gaped at him before he peered off into the sky behind Aang, shaking his head.

“You’re crazy,” he muttered.

“Hey, I did your rite of passage,” Aang replied, shrugging. “Don’t you think you should try mine?”

Kallik could come up with no argument against it, except that he was absolutely terrified to leap off the edge of a cliff. That usually resulted in death, as far as he was concerned.

The problem was, Kallik already adamantly claimed he was not frightened of this. It was the same claim he made every time Aang asked him if he was nervous or scared while riding Appa.

_Monkey-feathers._

A girl came over with a spare glider that she handed to them. Kallik took it with shaking hands and allowed Aang to lead him to the edge, near Katara.

“The wind will carry you,” he heard Teo saying. “It supports something inside you. Something even lighter than air.”

Kallik scoffed. “Yeah, right. I’m pretty sure nothing inside of me is lighter than air.”

“That something,” Teo said loudly, talking over Kallik, “takes over when you fly.” He had the same sly grin on his face that Aang was wearing.

“I’ve changed my mind,” Katara said, shaking her head. “I’m with Kallik. I was born without that something.” Kallik nodded emphatically.

“Water Tribe,” Teo said, shaking his head and glancing between her and Kallik. “I’ve heard you guys like to stay close to the ground, and closer to your element.” Despite his trepidation, Kallik smiled at Teo’s words. It was one of the oddities of the temple inhabitants that they treated him as Water Tribe with no questions asked. No one even blinked at his eye color or the paleness of his skin. He wanted to find it off-putting—it was so different from everyone else they came across—but instead it put him at ease.

“Everyone has that something, though,” Teo continued. “It’s true!” he laughed, grinning at the twin looks of disbelief on Katara’s and Kallik’s faces.

“Spirit,” Aang said, serenely. “That’s the something you’re talking about.”

“Yeah,” Teo said, looking up at the sky, “I suppose it is.”

Katara looked over at Kallik and visibly swallowed.

“I’ll do it if you do it,” she said, voice shaking. Kallik nearly started cursing. She _really_ wanted to glide. He could tell. She was scared though, so she was asking him to go with her. Kallik looked at her wide blue eyes and pouting mouth, then sighed. She made the same face when she wanted to see the whales when they were children. She managed to talk him into taking her to the cliffs just a _little_ too far away from the village, where the shadow people might dwell.

Seeing the whales surface and dive together was pretty unforgettable, though.

“Yeah,” he said, tightening his grip. “I’ll do it.” Her face lit up with a grin, making him feel a little better about diving to his death.

“You just jump off the edge and let the wind pick you up,” Teo said.

“I’ll be right behind you,” Aang added.

Kallik swallowed nervously, then nodded. He took a careful breath and jumped off the edge, shutting his eyes.

He knew he had screamed. He felt his mouth open, and he could feel his vocal cords vibrating, but he couldn’t hear anything beyond the rush of wind in his ears.

_I’m falling. Oh Spirits, I’m falling. I’m gonna die—I’m gonna fall to my—wait, am I—flying?_

Kallik opened his eyes and looked around. An endless sea of clouds was below him, and the brilliant blue of the sky stretched on above him. He felt like he was floating, like nothing in the world could touch him up here. Every once in a while, his anxiety would spike, reminding him that he very much wanted to be on solid ground, but this wasn’t so bad.

It was no worse than scaling the cliffs back home or trying to control a canoe in the rapids.

“What do you think?” Kallik looked over to see Aang flying beside him.

“I’m… flying,” he said, dumbly, grinning at Aang.

“Keep your mouth closed so you don’t eat a bug. Don’t worry, I already told Katara. If you lean your body, you can control the direction the glider will go.”

“That would have been a good lesson on the ground,” Kallik replied, leaning slightly so he could turn around. Katara was a short distance away, hovering in the sky. Teo was floating nearby. She looked like she was laughing. “How do you land this thing?”

“You want to get down already?” Aang laughed.

“Aang, I can say I’ve done it,” Kallik said, “and it’s kind of cool, but I think I’m good!”

“Okay,” Aang said. “To land, it’s gonna be rough since you don’t know airbending. The glider will take you in slower than if you were falling, but you’re still going pretty fast. You need to push out that bar you’ as far as you can to tip the nose up. This will slow you down so you can land on your feet.”

“This sounds terrible,” Kallik said, nerves returning.

“I’m still right behind you, Kallik. I won’t let you fall,” Aang said, kindly. Kallik chuckled nervously and aimed for the ground, following Aang’s instruction as best as he could. The glider took him over the courtyard and he got his feet under him, running as he touched down. He skidded to a halt and tripped over his feet. He stumbled to the floor with the glider flopping over beside him.

“You did it!” Aang said, helping Kallik get back up.

“Aang,” Kallik looked at the monk very seriously. Aang frowned and leaned closer. Kallik gripped his shoulder.

“That was possibly the coolest thing I have ever done,” he said. Aang laughed brightly.

“Really?”

“How do I land this thing!” Katara shouted. Kallik couldn’t hear Teo’s response as he flew over her. “What if I land in the—” she started coughing loudly enough for them to hear. “Bug! Bug—I swallowed a bug!”

“Maybe you should help her,” Kallik said. Aang nodded.

“Yep. After that, we’re gonna go to that room. I’ll open the door,” Aang replied.

“You sure you want to do that?” Kallik asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes,” Aang said, grinning. “It would be a shame to have come all this way and not see it, right? And I want to show you guys what it was like. It’s special to me, and I want to share it with you.”

Kallik smiled, glad Aang could see at least one conserved piece of his people. Progress was good and all, but there was value in preservation, too. The fact that the monk wanted to share it with him was touching.

He watched Aang fly off to help Katara, excited to see what mysteries the untouched chamber would hold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Writing Notes:
> 
> 1\. Idk. Maybe I was weird at that age. I remember when I was around 16 or 17 and I’d have to hang out with my younger cousins (12-14) I just immediately thought of them as _children._ Like, I’m so wise to the world but you, 2-4 years behind, are not. Obviously I know better now, but it REALLY felt that way. 
> 
> 2\. I can’t find the Mechanist’s name! I’ve been all over the Wiki! I watched his episodes! WHAT IS HIS NAME!?!?!?! So, I’ve named him Po. 
> 
> 3\. Kallik is gonna flinch a little with his own bending for a minute. He’s making himself do it though. I don’t think any bender can just not bend. It seems like it’s too much a part them to stop for long. 
> 
> 4\. They seem like a mixed bunch at the air temple, don’t they? It’s like a group of refugees got together and said, “we’re family now. Lets take care of each other!” I think in that respect, Kallik fits right in. Why would they question why he looks different from the others when they all look different from each other? That’s how I felt about the group there, anyway. 
> 
> 5\. I mean, I thought it was fun to have Kallik glide. Aang practically dared him to do it. Plus, his little cousin who he’s been being brave for his whole life is making puppy eyes at him. What is he supposed to do? That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Unfortunately, I didn’t change his mind *that* much. He still wants to stay close to the ground. ;-)
> 
> Thanks for reading! Please leave a kudos if you were entertained, and leave a comment to share your thoughts! Come find me on [Tumblr](https://hanuko.tumblr.com/) if you want to say hi!


	28. Chapter Twenty-seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“It doesn’t matter,” Kallik said. “What matters is what we do now. Your dad doesn’t want to build these weapons. That’s clear. So how do we fix this?” He looked at Sokka when he said this. Sokka groaned._
> 
> _“Why are you looking at me?” he whined. He couldn’t come up with everything._
> 
> _“You’re the idea guy,” Kallik said, shrugging. “So, come on. Ideas.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well. 
> 
> I went on a spree. 
> 
> Double update for y'all. :-)
> 
> This is the conclusion of The Northern Air Temple. Hope you like it!

Sokka was devastated.

How could Teo’s dad do this? How could he possibly support the Fire Nation this way?

When that bell started ringing, Sokka was certain there was some kind of emergency happening in the temple. He thought some equipment broke down, or someone got hurt. He worried over his family and what horrible thing could have happened to them while he was following Po around, talking to him about gas leaks and inventions and everything else. Instead, he was led to a room that was filled with an array of weapons, including the experiment Sokka just saw a model of in Po’s office. To find that out that little bell was just an alarm for anyone snooping near the secret Fire Nation weapon stash left Sokka feeling a mixture of betrayal, horror, and disappointment.

“You make weapons for the Fire Nation?” he asked, dismayed and angry. He watched as the Mechanist’s shoulders fell.

“Explain all this,” Teo growled. “Now!” Sokka was a little relieved. At least not everyone in the temple was in on this.

Po sighed. “It was about a year after we moved here,” he said, softly. “Fire Nation soldiers found our settlement.” He looked up at again. Sokka stepped closer and saw a defeated expression on the older man’s face.

“You were too young to remember this, Teo. They were going to destroy everything. Burn it to the ground!”

“That’s what the Fire Nation does,” Kallik spat. “They take and destroy. They don’t care who they hurt. Why would you help them?” Sokka nodded. He wished he had listened to the older boy in the beginning. He had a better nose for people who were bad for them, and he said right off the bat that something seemed off about Teo’s father.

“You don’t understand,” Po responded. “We had just lost everything in that flood. We finally had a place where we could start new, a place where I could give my son what he needed to thrive. I begged them to spare us.” He sighed, heavily. “They asked me what I had to offer.”

He waved his arm out in front of him, gesturing to the mess strewn about the room. “I offered my services. Please, Teo, I did this for you! Please understand—”

“No,” Teo replied, turning his chair so he wasn’t facing his father anymore. “No, Dad. This is—I can’t understand this. I can’t talk to you.”

Sokka glared at the man as he hung his head again. The mechanist turned around and walked away from the room, up the long hallway. Only when his footsteps faded away did anyone speak.

“How could he do this?” Kallik seethed. “After everything the Fire Nation did, and after everything we’ve lost in the war…. How could he agree to help them?”

“Firebenders,” Sokka muttered. Kallik looked up and scowled at him. He waved his hands in front of himself apologetically. “Not you, buddy.”

Kallik huffed and looked away while Teo stared at his cousin with wide eyes.

“You’re a firebender?” he asked, hesitantly. He inched his chair back slightly, moving away from Kallik. Sokka rolled his eyes.

“Seriously? That’s your focus right now?” Sokka asked, angrily. “Kallik hasn’t raised a hand or spark against you the entire time he’s been here. Meanwhile, your dad has been building weapons for the Fire Nation!”

“Hey!” Teo shouted. “It’s not like I knew! It would have been good to know we’ve been harboring a firebender, though. I find it pretty suspicious that you all kept that under wraps,” he said, glaring at them.

“Kallik is Water Tribe, Teo. You saw that right off the bat and said it yourself,” Katara said, folding her arms over her chest. “He can also bend fire, and he uses it against the Fire Nation, so back off!”

“Hey!” Kallik shouted. Everyone stopped. “Let’s all take a breath. Yelling at each other won’t solve anything.” He turned towards Teo, who eyed him nervously. Sokka noticed Kallik’s eye was twitching again—a sure sign he was trying to keep his temper under control.

“Teo,” he said in a tight voice, “I didn’t tell anyone I’m a firebender because this is usually the reaction I get.” Teo flushed and looked down at his knees. “I know you don’t know us, and if it will really make you feel better, Aang can take me to the bottom of this mountain to wait out the rest of—whatever this is. But I get the feeling that the Fire Nation soldiers will have to come here at some point to collect, and you’ll probably need all the help you can get.”

“Aang is not taking you to the bottom of this mountain to wait anything out, Kallik,” Sokka said, shaking his head. “If Teo doesn’t want your help, he doesn’t want our help either.” Katara nodded in agreement.

“Guys—” Kallik began, but surprisingly, Aang cut him off this time.

“They’re right, Kallik,” he said seriously. “Teo, my job is to find balance, and do what I can to end this war. That means that I can’t turn a blind eye when people are going to throw someone out just because of their abilities. No one can help how they’re born, and being a bender is a blessing. It doesn’t matter what element chooses them.”

“But firebenders are the whole reason my dad had to agree to make weapons for the Fire Nation in the first place!” Teo exclaimed.

“That doesn’t make all firebenders bad, just like it doesn’t make all the other benders good,” Aang said, gently. Sokka tilted his head, mulling over Aang’s words. He had the same tone of voice he did when he was trying to talk down Hei Bai, or when he was trying to settle disputes. Despite his age, he seemed to have an affinity for bridging these gaps. He looked up to see Kallik watching the monk curiously. It wasn’t too often people defended his bending. Sokka winced. He really should have been doing more for his cousin on that front.

“A hundred years ago, one of my best friends was a firebender,” Aang continued. “Kuzon and I got in and out of so much trouble together. There was no war, and all the nations lived in peace with one another. We can have that again, but we have to trust each other. Kallik is a firebender just like Katara is a waterbender. Neither one of them have done anything to hurt you, and Kallik is even willing to leave to put you at ease.”

Teo looked over at Kallik again and relaxed a little, resting his hands in his lap again.

“You’re right, Aang,” Teo agreed. “I’m sorry, Kallik. I shouldn’t have judged you like that. I know you’re not trying to hurt us.”

Kallik nodded once, brushing off the hurt like he always did. Sokka was always amazed his cousin never snapped at this treatment.

“It doesn’t matter,” Kallik said. “What matters is what we do now. Your dad doesn’t want to build these weapons. That’s clear. So how do we fix this?” He looked at Sokka when he said this. Sokka groaned.

“Why are you looking at me?” he whined. He couldn’t come up with everything.

“You’re the idea guy,” Kallik said, shrugging. “So, come on. Ideas.”

“You laugh at my ideas,” Sokka muttered.

“Only the stupid ones,” Kallik threw back, smirking. Sokka rolled his eyes.

“We need more information,” Katara said. “We can’t come up with much if we don’t even know when they’re coming. Maybe we can use these weapons that Teo’s dad built against them.” All the boys in the room looked at her. She flushed and scowled at them.

“What?” she asked, glaring. “What’s wrong with that.”

“Nothing,” Kallik said. “It’s a good place to start.”

“Don’t sound so surprised,” she huffed.

“I’m not surprised!”

“I am,” Sokka snickered. He coughed when Katara threw water in his face.

“Come on,” Aang said. “Let’s go find your dad, Teo. Hopefully, he can tell us something.”

* * *

“What are we going to do?” Sokka moaned. Kallik pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes tightly. The thin air was bad enough. The stress of the situation was only adding to his headache. “This is bad. Very bad!”

When Aang and Teo emerged from the mechanist’s office, Aang sheepishly confessed that he may have challenged a Fire Nation official, and the response was that the Fire Nation soldiers would burn the temple to the ground. The proclamation left them with two options. Flee, or defend.

Personally, Kallik was in favor of fleeing. People were more important than land, and there certainly nothing good for him here. Only trouble breathing and tension headaches.

Aang did have ties to the Air Temple, though. He had roots that went deep in this place. Also, his new friends made a home here. How could they leave it all behind, when they already had to do it once before?

So, there was only one option. They had to fight.

“Moaning about it isn’t going to change anything,” Kallik said, setting his mouth in a stern frown. “We have to look at our assets and go from there. We have to have some advantages. Let’s use them.”

“We have a huge one that they won’t know what to do with,” Aang crowed. “Air power! We control the sky. That’s something the Fire Nation can’t do. We can win!”

Kallik opened his mouth to ask Aang how they would win. Gliding over Fire Nation soldiers wouldn’t do much good, and Aang was the only one who could control air. He was interrupted before he could form the question.

“I want to help.” The group turned towards the voice, seeing Teo’s dad watching them all very seriously.

“Good,” Aang replied. “We’ll need it.”

Kallik gathered everyone who was able to hold a weapon in the courtyard and led them in drills, just in case they had to do some fighting on the ground. In the meantime, Aang surveyed the area, looking for the best places to defend the temple. Sokka and the mechanist were holed up in his office going over some of his inventions. Katara practiced her waterbending near Kallik, watching the others go through the steps. It was shoddy, but it seemed most of the adults were no strangers to fighting off the Fire Nation.

“Bring those ashmakers on,” an old man growled. “I beat ‘em back once before, before the flood wiped out our homes. I’ll do it again!”

Kallik winced at his colorful language but chose to ignore the old man. It was pointless to engage in that fight.

Teo had different plans.

“Hey!” he shouted, wheeling over to him. “We don’t have a problem with firebenders. Just the Fire Nation’s firebenders. Be respectful!” The old man glared at him then shrugged, mumbling under his breath. Kallik felt the air whoosh out of his lungs. Teo rolled up to Kallik, pausing beside him.

“I was disrespectful earlier,” he said quietly, “and I truly am sorry about it. I’ll do whatever I can to make amends for what I did and said.”

“It’s really unnecessary,” Kallik said. His ears were burning in embarrassment. “I’ve heard worse back home.”

“Yeah?” Teo asked. “Well, you don’t deserve that, so I’m gonna do what I can to help.”

Kallik smiled, touched. Suddenly, a bell clanged overhead. It was a signal from Sokka and Teo’s dad. The group set down their weapons and went to the mechanist’s office. Once they were all gathered, Po began to speak.

“We finally got the war balloon working, thanks to Sokka,” he said, gesturing to the model in front of him. He patted Sokka on the shoulder. “This boy is a genius!”

Sokka puffed his chest out with pride. “Thank you,” he said, deepening is voice. Kallik could smack him for how smug he sounded. “You’re a genius!” he complimented in return.

“Thank you!” Teo’s dad replied, smiling. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Katara and Aang exchanging a tired glance. It seemed like Sokka had found a true kindred spirit.

“See the problem with the old war balloon was you could get it airborne,” Sokka explained, putting a lit candle in the base of the model and letting it fly high into the air, “but once you did it just kept going.” He pulled it down by a long string attached to the base. Kallik had an absurd vision of that red thing in the chamber being tethered to the ground in the same way.

“You could cut a hole in the top, but then all the hot air would escape,” Sokka continued. “So the question became, how do you put a lid on hot air?”

“Ugh,” Katara muttered, “if only we knew.” Kallik snickered at that along with Aang and Teo. He could tell Sokka had only just gotten started. If he kept going, he would be unbearable.

Sokka glared at them for a moment then rolled his eyes. “A lid is actually the answer,” he said, pulling a second, smaller string. A flap on top of the balloon opened and closed. “If you control the hot air, you control the war balloon.”

“Hmm,” Katara said, folding her arms over her chest. “That’s actually pretty smart.”

“What are we going to do with it, though?” Kallik asked. “Are you just gonna drop weapons over the sides? How are we going to attack with this thing?”

“We’ve got four kinds of bombs,” Sokka said, holding up his fingers to count each one off, “smoke, slime, fire and—”

“Stink!” Teo’s dad chimed in. “Never underestimate the power of stink.”

“Wonder if they got the idea from Sokka’s socks,” Kallik mumbled. Katara snickered, covering her mouth with her hand.

“Geez, everyone’s a critic,” Sokka muttered. “The gliders will have smaller versions of these bombs to drop on the invading soldiers. Kallik, you and your team stay on the ground and give us some cover fire for anyone who makes it high enough to breech the temple. Teo’s dad and I will operate the war balloon. If anyone doesn’t know about your abilities, now would be the time to share.”

Kallik sighed and nodded. He turned to address the group.

“Some of you saw Teo defending me out there earlier, although I don’t think you realized that’s what he was doing.” Some muttering broke out amongst the group, and people stared at him warily. He went on, lifting his head proudly. “I am Kallik, of the Southern Water Tribe. My father is Bato, and my mother was Kyra. Sokka and Katara have been my family since we were all very small.” The group looked between him and the others, absorbing his words.

“I also happen to be a firebender, and I plan to use it when the Fire Nation soldiers get close. If any of you have a problem with that, I need to know now so we can put you somewhere else,” Kallik said, seriously. The group he trained looked at him, then murmured to each other. Kallik sighed and leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest. There was nothing for it but to wait for their decision. All he could do was hope for the best, even though that rarely worked out for him in the past.

“We’ll follow you, Kallik,” a young woman replied. She was one of the better ones with the weapons drills. Everyone nodded at her words, even the grumpy old man who announced his prejudice before while they trained.

“I may not have met many good firebenders,” he said, “but I saw you take to the skies with the young’uns so your sister would be braver. That makes you a good man in my book, no matter what you bend.”

Kallik blinked and cleared his throat. “Oh,” he said, struck dumb. “Actually, she’s my co—” Katara nudged him in the ribs, cutting him off. He cleared his throat. “Never mind. Thank you. I guess we won’t change our plans, then.”

“Now what?” someone asked.

“Now, we get ready,” Aang replied, no hint of a smile on his face. Kallik almost did a double take. In moments like these, it was easy to forget Aang was just a kid, and remember he was the Avatar.

Of course when it came to defending his home, Kallik didn’t expect anything less.

* * *

“They’re coming!”

_Breathe, focus. The air will carry you._

“Where’s Sokka with the war balloon?” Katara asked, anxiously.

“We’ll have to start without it,” Aang replied, unfolding the wings from his glider. Everyone was lined up behind him, ready for takeoff. He ran forward, leading the charge, diving off the edge of the courtyard to hover above and take in his surroundings. The other gliders came forward as well, all armed and ready. The rest left on the ground cheered them on as they went to defend them. Aang felt his heart racing as he searched for the Fire Nation soldiers that would attack them.

They dove beneath the clouds, throwing their bombs into the soldiers that were slowly making their way up the thing path along the mountain. Aang swallowed. The sheer number of them was mindboggling. He hadn’t expected so many. It didn’t matter though. They still had the advantage by being in the air. Teo carefully aimed smoke bombs, which made a loud blast once they made contact with the firebenders. It did little to dissuade them. Aang swallowed and leapt off his glider, forming an air scooter beneath him. He dashed along the highest cliff, making an avalanche of snow cascade over the soldiers.

“We’ve got them on the run!” Aang cried, watching them turn back and run down the cliffside. “We need more slime!” Several gliders darted above the clouds, flying up to where Aang knew Appa and Katara were waiting to help them reload. This was it. They were winning. They didn’t even need the war balloon!

A scream and bellow rang out through the air, startling Aang. He flew up to see Appa flying out of the way of several chains that shot up, piercing the side of the mountain. An ominous rumble could be heard, shaking the mountain. Aang swallowed nervously, watching the swirling clouds below them.

Terrifying metal monsters burst through, climbing vertically up the mountain along the chains. The gliders narrowly dodged out of the way, still dropping their bombs. They did nothing to stop these strange machines from climbing up the cliffside.

_There’s no way Kallik can take these on,_ Aang thought, terrified for his friend. They were expecting foot soldiers, not _this._ He landed at the top of one chain and pried it loose from the mountain, making the weird metal machine plummet a short distance before a new chain snapped out and caught the mountain again. Aang looked at the number of chains imbedded deeply into the rock, swallowing nervously.

_Sokka, where are you?_

* * *

Kallik and the others stood just below the air temple—the last line of defense against the Fire Nation.

Their opponents showed up, armed with contraptions that Kallik thought only Sokka could dream up.

The metal monsters crept up the hill, spikes digging deeply into the snow. Kallik sunk into the stance he learned from Jeong Jeong, then focused on the fire shot towards his friends in the sky. Shaking off his nerves, he caught hold of the flames and brought them down right in front of the machines—not that it did him much good. One appeared to slip as the snow melted, but otherwise it did very little to stop their progress.

Kallik took a careful breath, then focused his energy, fans in his hands. They would make his fires bigger than the dao could. He darted forward and with a quick release of breath, he swung the fans down to create two large arcs of flame aimed directly at the snow. The slush caused more of those things to slip and slide back, but all he was doing was holding them at bay. He would be out of energy before too long. He didn’t know how to help. What was worse was the group of people clutching swords and clubs and farming tools behind him, obviously terrified but standing their ground.

_Curse it,_ Kallik thought. _We were expecting soldiers, not these things._ He waved at the group behind him.

“Fall back!” he shouted. “Fall back to the temple!”

“We’re not leaving you hear alone!” one of them shouted. Kallik growled in annoyance. Aang landed in front of him and tossed four of those things away, flipping them over and sending them back in the direction they came. Kallik sighed in relief.

It was short-lived. Not only were those metal monsters completely defensible, they also couldn’t be thrown off course. The ones that were flipped just flipped right back, wheeling back towards the air temple.

“Oh no,” Kallik whispered with wide eyes. They were dead. There was no way to win this fight, even with the war balloon. Not with those things bearing down on them. Aang dived further into the fray, knocking back fireballs and jumping between machines, trying to keep them back. Kallik groaned and waved the group back.

“GET BACK!” he shouted, throwing a line of fire that curved in front of his team. The group startled and stepped away from him. “You have to retreat! I’m getting Aang and will be right behind you. Now go!” Finally, they seemed to listen to him and followed his order, turning and running back up to the temple. Kallik ran forward to help Aang, catching the fireballs that shot out and throwing them right back in the little windows they came from.

“Now what?” he asked Aang as the machines got even closer to them. Kallik threw more fire, slicing the air with his fans.

“I don’t—Katara?” Aang shouted, stepping back as the waterbender landed in front of him. Kallik watched his cousin bring up huge spikes of ice, dismantling two of the machines before half a dozen more wheeled up behind them. Aang and Kallik darted in front of her dispelled the fireballs that were thrown from the new contraptions, then Appa joined the fray.

The sky bison landed in front of them, and with a mighty roar and a shove of his head, he shoved two of the oncoming machines back into the others. Katara, Aang, and Kallik quickly climbed up Appa and took off, flying high above them and out of range. They landed in the courtyard. Teo looked over at them, frightened.

“We’re out of bombs!” he cried. Kallik looked out towards the Fire Nation soldiers, who were marching and rolling much closer than they were before. They lost.

“Come on, Sokka,” Katara muttered. “Where are you?”

“I don’t think the war balloon can stop them,” Kallik said. “We have to retreat and get everyone to safety.”

“Sokka will come through, Kallik,” Katara said, firmly. She had every faith in Sokka. Kallik knew when the chips were down, Sokka always managed to pull through. This was a different set of circumstances, though. With everything stacked against them, it would take some kind of a miracle to turn the tide.

Then, the war balloon appeared, looming over their enemy. None of the soldiers shot at it, continuing their march as Sokka and Po hovered over the troops.

“Why aren’t they shooting?” Teo asked, scratching his head.

“Look at the emblem,” Kallik said, pointing to the red balloon. “They look like they’re fighting with the Fire Nation. The soldiers probably don’t know they’re a threat!”

The first heavy bomb dropped like a stone, splatting a third of the soldiers with slime. Then came the second, and finally the third. All the foot soldiers were down, but it seemed like those weird contraptions could move through anything.

_I hate being right,_ Kallik thought, glowering. The people who waited above chipped tirelessly against the new chains that had embedded themselves in the cliff wall. Kallik ran over and waved them off.

“We have to go!” he shouted. A fireball shot toward him. He dispelled it quickly then shot one of his own, carefully aiming for the window of the tank directly below him. He pretended he didn’t hear the screaming from the person inside. He didn’t have time to think of that now.

“We can’t leave our home!” the old man cried. “Not again! Not because of this Fire Nation scum!”

“Kallik,” Katara said, pointing out to the sky, “look.” Kallik looked up and saw the engine of the war balloon falling out of the basket.

What the—

Then he felt it. A huge, new life barely created with a spark, surging up, up, up—

“GET DOWN!” he shouted, flinging himself and Katara away from the edge. The others followed his lead just in time.

A massive explosion rocked the mountain. Kallik pressed his hands against his ears, hopelessly trying to stop the ringing. When the smoke cleared, all that remained were empty chains. The few foot soldiers who hadn’t been blasted off the mountain were retreating, running back down towards the foot path that would take them away from the temple.

Kallik blinked.

“Did we—win?” he asked, stunned.

“We won!” Katara shouted, jumping up and down. The others cheered, clearly basking in their victory as the war balloon careened away from them. Sokka was shouting something as the balloon went towards the edge of the cliffs, falling at a rapid pace. Kallik’s heart jumped into his throat.

“Sokka!” he shouted.

“No!” Katara cried. Aang leapt into the air, snapping open his glider and shooting toward them as fast as the wind could carry him. Soon, he and the balloon were out of sight.

Kallik held his breath and Katara turned to him and hugged him tight, pressing her face into his shoulder. She couldn’t watch, and he couldn’t look away.

One heartbeat. Five. Ten. An endless stretch of time passed the moment they disappeared, and Kallik could only hear his pulse pounding in his ears.

An orange glider burst through the clouds, a two-person lump dangling from a rope in tow. Kallik released the breath he was holding quickly and shook Katara, who was now sobbing.

“Katara,” he said, “look! They’re fine. Sokka’s fine!” Katara looked up with wet eyes and shrieked in delight as Aang brought them to the courtyard, dropping them carefully to the ground before he landed. Katara ran forward and hugged Sokka for all she was worth, then punched every inch of his arm.

“Never do that again!” she screamed, hitting very hard, if Sokka’s yelps were anything to go by.

“Ouch. Ouch! Katara! Stop it!” Sokka said, finally grabbing her hands. Kallik walked over quickly, and Sokka looked at him with a long-suffering expression.

“Geez, I was fine,” he complained. “Little sisters worry way too mu—ack!”

Kallik pulled him into a hug so tight, he was pretty sure he bruised the younger boys ribs.

“Uh, Kallik,” Sokka croaked, “I need to breathe, buddy.”

Kallik loosened his grip but still hugged Sokka, barely daring to believe he was real.

“Please don’t do that again,” he whispered. Sokka sobered immediately, returning the hug.

“No promises,” he said, “but I’ll do my best. I can’t say it’s an experience I want to repeat anytime soon.” Katara wrapped her own arms around them, still crying. When Aang approached, she broke off to hug him and kiss him on the cheek for saving her brother, which made the monk blush.

“It was nothing,” Aang said, pulling away from Katara in time for Kallik to give him a similar bear hug to Sokka’s. “Kallik,” he said, laughing.

“Aang, you saved him. Tui and La, I thought he was dead—”

Then Teo rolled over and tugged Aang down into a hug as well.

“You saved my dad! Thank you so much, Aang. I can’t—how can we repay you?”

Aang pulled away, wiping at his face. “There is nothing you need to give,” he said, smiling. “I’m pretty sure this is what I’m supposed to do, and I would do it again in a heartbeat, no questions asked.”

Kallik grinned, thumping Sokka on the shoulder. “Can you imagine what Panuk’s face is gonna look like when we come home and tell him about this?” Sokka stared at him for a minute before a sly grin took over his face.

“Oh man, he won’t believe it.”

“He will if news makes it to the village from Kyoshi,” Kallik grinned. “I think maybe you should write Suki another letter with news for Aunt Kya.”

* * *

Kallik had another nightmare.

Aang heard him moving restlessly then startle awake with a sharp gasp last night. Judging by the bags under his eyes, he was pretty sure the teenager never got back to sleep. It was no wonder. Yesterday was really scary.

Aang almost gave up hope for a minute. The task became impossible. He understood the moment he saw the war balloon go down that a place was just a place, but people—people were alive, and they needed to be protected more than anything. Their success was because of luck. Nothing more. If that explosion hadn’t worked, no one would be here now.

How could Aang begrudge these people finding a home, and bringing back the spirit of air to what must have been a dead, empty temple? Monk Gyatso had often told him how it was important to let go of attachment, and to move freely. If Teo and his people wanted to stay here and bring life to this temple again, Aang should support them.

Kallik and Sokka finished packing while Katara and Aang tended to the wounded. Thankfully, the biggest worries were some pulled muscles and scrapes related to flight. There wasn’t a burn to be found. When they all finished, they met up with Teo and his dad before leaving the Air Temple.

“You know what?” Aang asked Teo. Teo smiled at him and shook his head. “I’m really glad you guys all live here now. I realized it’s like this hermit crab.” He reached over and scooped up the little critter, who peeked shy out of its shell. Kallik reached down and gently stroked it, making it poke out more to examine its surroundings.

“Maybe you weren’t born here, but you found this empty shell and made it your home. Now you protect each other.” He could help but glance at his new Water Tribe family. Judging by the warm smiles he received from them, they felt the same way about him.

“That means a lot, coming from you,” Teo acknowledged. Aang grinned at him.

“Aang,” Sokka said, grinning, “you were right about air power. As long as we’ve got the skies, we’ll have the Fire Nation on the run!” The crowd around them cheered at Sokka’s words, except for Kallik, who was looking thoughtful and worried all of a sudden. Aang watched him shake himself and put a grin on his face, hugging their new friends before they mounted Appa and took off.

Sokka fell asleep almost immediately, and Katara drifted off afterward. She had expanded a lot of energy healing people, and they all had been through a difficult time. Aang was glad that things were returning to normal as he headed further north. He glanced back to see Kallik with that serious expression on his face as he did decorative carvings on a disk of wood.

“Kallik?” Aang asked. Kallik grunted, not looking up from his work. “What’s wrong? You’ve been quiet ever since we left.”

“I’m just thinking about what Sokka said,” Kallik said, setting his carving down. He looked over at Aang and shrugged. “I mean, maybe I take bad luck and jinxes too seriously, but I’m not sure he was right about air power.”

“Why not?” Aang asked. Kallik looked up at Aang with a somber expression.

“The Fire Nation were the ones who commissioned the war balloon,” he said, evenly. He looked out to the horizon.

“I don’t think we’re going to be alone in the skies for much longer.”

Aang swallowed. He couldn’t help but think that Kallik was probably right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Writing Notes:
> 
> 1\. In canon, Zuko and Iroh could travel all over the Earth Kingdom and not many people gave them a second glance when they were refugees. No one cared until it was clear they could firebend. The same principle is applied here. Looks weren’t important in the last chapter, but the fact that Kallik can firebend is cause for alarm for Teo. 
> 
> 2\. Seriously, y’all. They won that fight through luck. Nothing else. If Sokka hadn’t suddenly been inspired to use the gas as a giant bomb, they would have lost. Everyone is all celebrating at the end, and I’m like, “You were *so* close to losing. It was not air power that saved you! It wasn’t your brilliant battle plans. It was LUCK!” Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad they won. And quite frankly, they’re at the tippy top of a mountain that doesn’t seem to have an exit out the back, so where could they go? I was still annoyed though. 
> 
> 3\. I like the idea of Sokka writing Suki letters. 
> 
> Up next, The Waterbending Master. And that series of chapters is going to be a doozy. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! Please leave a kudos if you were entertained, and a comment to share your thoughts. I'm [@hanuko](https://hanuko.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr. Feel free to come by and say hi!


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